Zeming storms home to boost PNC numbers

Main Stories, National
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The National, Wednesday July 18th, 2012

By ELLEN TIAMU
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has applauded People’s National Congress (PNC) candidate Mao Ze­ming following confirmation of his win in the hotly-contested open seat of Tewai-Siassi.
Zeming stormed home to secure the seat with a final count of 5,959 votes, 1,783 ahead of his nearest rival and National Alliance candidate Dr Kobby Bomareo, who garnered 4,176 votes.
In third place was Vincent Michaels representing the PNG Party with 3,681 votes.
Fourth place went to independent Stephen Farhall with 3,109 votes.  Zeming’s win takes the number of PNC seats won so far to five. Zeming was a three-term politician until he was dismissed by a leadership tribunal for misconduct in office nine years ago.His win and declaration on Monday was an even affair that went down to the wire between him and Bomareo.He is confident of PNC forming the next government.
Zeming said PNC’s policies and leadership under O’Neill were the attraction for many ordinary Papua New Guineans who wanted to see changes in their rural communities.
LLGs in Tewai-Siassi are Wasu, Siassi and Sialum.Zeming said priority for his electorate was agriculture, health, education and law and order.A delighted O’Neill reiterated his earlier comments that these early results bode well for his party and he was confident PNC would form the next government.
“The people of Papua New Guinea have seen enough for themselves over the past 10 months to see how well the PNC has led the government,” he said.“PNC has not only provided stability but also laid the foundations for a number of key criteria affecting the country.“These include laying the foundation for economic growth, rebuilding infrastructure, the introduction of free education and free health care.”