Hela group claims land

Source: The National, Wednesday 02nd of January, 2013

A GROUP claiming to be the rightful landowners of Mt Tundaka in Margarima district, Hela, want authorities to consult it before carrying out mining activities.
The group is led by paramount chief Lombaya Yuwi, Buga Lombaya, Kane Lombaya, Wabi Arali and Kebaya Egali from the Mt Tundaka area.
In a statement, Yuwi said Mt Tundaka was part of Southern Highlands before the formation of Hela as a separate province.
He claimed there was another group of people claiming to be landowners of Mt Tundaka.
Yuwi said he represented the people of Margarima, upper Wage, lower Wage and central Margarima.
He said his group found out that another group was inviting outsiders to explore Mt Tundaka.
He said he and his landowners were the “only legal group to handle any negotiations on mining exploration”.

Kairuku-Hiri awaits by-election

Source:The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

By ELIAS NANAU

 

TWO 2012 election petitions have been upheld so far by the court of disputed returns and the Electoral Commission is expected to conduct a by-election for one of them - the Kairuku-Hiri open seat in Central.
The commission is yet to make an announcement regarding that.
David Isoaimo, a petitioner challenging Paru Aihi successfully sought the relief for by-election after Justice David Cannings concluded that Aihi, a member of the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s People’s National Congress (PNC) Party, committed bribery to procure votes, won and returned to parliament.
Tony Waterepu Aimo was another petitioner and he was declared as an MP for the Ambunti-Dreikikir open seat, East Sepik, by the court.
Justice John Kawi declared Aimo as member elect after he found that Ezekiel Anisi was not of legal age (under age) when he was elected and Anisi’s name was not on the electoral roll.
Anisi had filed for a judicial review to challenge Kawi’s decision and the matter was heard by Justice Derrick Hartshorn. The decision is pending.
Several election petitions have either been dismissed or withdrawn by petitioners from an initial record 105 petitions registered after the 2012 elections.
The election petition website calculated that 17 cases were dismissed and
eight withdrawn or discontinued.
The latest dismissal, just after Christmas, was the election petition by Jimmy Maladina challenging the win by second-term Alotau MP and National Planning Minister Charles Abel.
Abel is a member of the PNC Party.
Maladina had disputed that Abel had bribed voters and exerted undue influence during campaigning.
But Justice Sao Gabi found that Maladina failed to justify his grounds to convince the court.
Maladina said he would be appealing the decision in the Supreme Court.
“I have very strong grounds to successfully review this decision in the Supreme Court,” Maladina said in a statement.
Most election petitions have been slated for full trials at respective national court houses in the provincial centres near the electorates and these are expected to start when the justice department resumes work.
There had been applications to move trial locations because of security concerns but election petitions judge administrator Colin Makail was firm that it was the responsibility of petitioners and elected members to ensure supporters behaved

Polye: Poll payments next month

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Source:The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

By SHIRLYN BELDEN

MONEY to pay 2012 general election service providers will be ready by next month, Treasurer Don Polye said yesterday.
More than 300 service providers in the country, including private businesses and election contract officials, would receive K34.4 million for services provided during the June-July general election last year.
The money was delayed last week due to processes in acquiring and making available the funds as the financial year closed.
The delay included screening the number of service providers and their claims.
Polye said instructions had been given to the Finance Department to clear and release the money to the Papua
New Guinea Electoral Commission by next week.
He apologised for the delay.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen had pledged to pay the service providers by Christmas but that did not eventuate.
Trawen had blamed the Finance Department for not releasing the money.
More than K29.8 million would be used to pay for vehicle hire. Others such as boat hire, catering and hotel accommodation would make up the balance.
Service providers in the highlands would get K17.9 million followed by Southern K5.7 million, Mamose K5.6 million and New Guinea Islands K1.2 million.
Trawen had said, in addition, the commission owed contract officials K4 million, bringing outstanding payments to K34.4 million

IT gear boosts Radio Southern Highlands

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Source: The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

By PETER ESOP WARI

RADIO Southern Highlands has been boosted with K80,000 worth of information technology equipment plus K100,000, thanks to Governor William Powi.
The IT equipment and the K100,000 were part of the K46 million of the 2012 preliminary budget paid for projects by Powi aimed at transforming the province.
Station manager Jacob Mambi said they received six laptop computers, five desktop computers, external hard drives and other accessories.
Mambi said Radio Southern Highlands had not progressed in the past because of the lack of IT equipment.
He said of the K100,000, K20,000 would be given to service providers and K80,000 would go to broadcasting and IT equipment.
He said the majority of people lived in rural areas and radio was the only means of information that could reach them.
“Media is very important and radio, unlike TV and the print media, can help the illiterate rural population who do not have access to town and electricity,” he said.
Mambi said Radio Southern Highlands was still having problems covering the province as the 10-kilowatt shortwave transmitter damaged a few months ago was not repaired.
He said the majority of the people benefitted from the shortwave.
They expressed concern about the situation but parts for the transmitted could not be found in the country.
Mambi said a report that Radio Southern Highlands had received K1 million was not true.
“I would like to make it clear that I, as the manager, received K100,000 plus the IT equipment, nothing apart from that,” he said.

Support Mangape’s good work

Source: The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

LAGAIP-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape is ma­king waves in his electorate.
Although he is a firsttimer in the political arena, many people in the electorate are beginning to call him “Mr Action”.
His latest project – the highway to link Porgera and Tari that costs K10 million – is one of the examples of how he got his nickname.
The road will be a relief for the people of Tari and Porgera.
They have been using the other route to go to Mendi for services such as banks and hospitals.
The new highway will only take one hour for them to reach Porgera since it has all the servi-ces needed.
Tari, on the other hand, is the host of the multi-million LNG project.
Therefore, the people of Tari can always come to Porgera to spend their money or even invest in one of the world’s largest gold mines.
The people of Porgera can also do the same up there in Tari.
It would be good if
Hela Governor Anderson Agi­ru and James Marape were to step in and assist Mangape in this important project as it would be­nefit the people of Hela.
We are the Huli-Openas, so let us work toget­her and make things happen.
I admire the work of my MP Mangape and I truly believe that he is the man that my people and I have been waiting for.
Now that we have the right leader, let us put aside all our differences and work together for the better of Lagaip-Porgera and Enga as a whole.
Izzy Kings
Via email

Focus on other areas too, Mangape

Source: The National, Thursday 3rd of January, 2013

I REFER to the recent report on Lagaip-Porgera MP Nixon Mangape to spend K10 million from the JDP&BPC trust ac­count to construct the Porgera to Tari road. In my view, this allocation of money will not benefit the bulk of the population in the district. The Porgera-Tari road is not really “a must” for the Lagaip-Porgera people because they do not need that road to access basic services such as banks and post offices in Tari. There is also no one li­ving in that particular section between Por­gera and Tari. Instead, we are in dire need of roads linking the rural areas known for their agricultural activities to the main market. Mangape should not be so worried about the Taris benefiting from the ser­vices available in Porgera and avoid the notorious Nipa section when trying to access services in Mendi or Mt Hagen. The initiative should be taken by Hela MPs and Mangape can then show his support. The K10 million ought to be spent on projects that would result in tangible benefits for the bulk of the people living in Por­ger­a, Paiela or Laia­gam linking Wabag via Pilikambi LLG. Mangape should submit a proposal to the Na­tional Executive Coun­cil and other appropriate key stakeholders instead of using the Lagaip-Porgera JDP&BPC funds as the Porgera-Tari road is outside the priority areas.

Tony Sulupin
Lagaip-Porgera

80 Lives Lost In Kandep election related Fight

Will Kandep people learn from their actions for a better Kandep in future? Are the people at fault for taking law into their own hands pending the outcome of the election petition to declare the win of Don Polye null and void? Should there ever be a bye election, how safe will that be given the current situation. Will there ever be a better Kandep again after all these chaos? Have the people themselves lived in luxury to buy the weapons and ammunitions that they are using today and continuously for the last 5 months? The truth is....Innocent lives have been lost and there is NO WINNER in a fight and there is no special reward. We all have failed miserably in this area!!.

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80 lives lost in aftermath of poll violence

Source: The National, Monday 24th December, 2012

POLICE have urged political leaders from Enga to resolve the election-related violence in Kandep district, which has claimed 80 lives so far.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said despite fighting between supporters of two rival candidates stopping four months ago, it continued in isolated areas.
He said extra policemen were deployed to the district to maintain order but killings continued in isolated areas that police could not reach.
Lakari and Highlands police divisional commander Teddy Tei said it would be best for Kandep MP Don Polye to return home and talk to his people.
They believe that the violence is between Polye’s (supporters) and those of losing candidate Alfred Manase.
Police could not confirm how many people had died so far but sources have put the number at 80

Enga police get tough on drivers

Source: The National, Friday 21st December, 2012

ENGA police are now getting tough on drivers breaking traffic rules in the province.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said yesterday from Wabag that police had imposed K1,000 bail on drivers breaking traffic rules.
Lakari said out of 15 drivers arrested for overloading, drink driving and driving around in unregistered vehicles last week, one had to pay a K1,000 bail on Monday.
He said others would appear in the District Court to determine their fate or impose appropriate fines on them.
“I want to reduce fatal accidents in the province because last year and the previous year, we had a lot of fatal accidents during the festive season,” he said.
Lakari said police would ensure only road worthy vehicles travelled on the road.
He said because of the drivers’ carelessness fatal accidents happened and this had to stop.
“I want to warn drivers and vehicle owners to take extra precautions,” he said.
He said anyone seen breaking the traffic rules would face the full force of the law.
Lakari said police set 24-hour roadblocks at the border of Western Highlands and Enga near Kumul lodge and confiscated 100 cartons of beer and seven cartons of dark rum.
He said some people transported the alcohol on trucks into Enga to sell during the festive period when police confiscated them at the roadblock

Time govt move in to end tribal war

Source: The National, Friday 07th December, 2012

I CALL on the government to conduct an investigation into the number of people killed in Kan­-dep district following the recent general election.
The National has published several letters with regard to the election-related tribal war.
What I cannot understand is the deafening si­lence from the Kandep MP.
As a senior minister, Don Polye could have stepped in and put an end to the on-going war.
The same goes with the so-called “action governor”.
Why is Peter Ipatas so quiet too? Do not tell me that Ipatas and Polye are not concerned with the on-going war or the number of people who have lost their lives?
The PPC needs to send his men to Mariant LLG
to put an end to this fight. The tribal fight is between the Okul and Kamprip tribes.
The cause of this tribal war is not because of pigs, money, land, forest, wo­men or anything relating to tribal values and beliefs but over power. This has disrupted the lives of the innocent people of Mariant LLG.
The number of deaths cannot be confirmed be­cause no one from the police, Electoral Commission, justice department or Engan government has taken the initia­-tive to go there.
Kandep High School was forced to close while the multi-million kina wheat project was burnt.
I agree with Jerry Songpen (Nov 30) that the go­vernment must declare a state of emergency in Kandep.
Yand Kaiman
Mariant

Declare SOE in Kandep

Source: The National, Friday 30th of November, 2012

 

SINCE the declarations in July, a fierce tribal war has been raging in Kandep.
There has been destruction to local businesses, closure of government services and more than 70 people killed so far, with 57 deaths in Mariant LLG.
Students from schools in the war zone did not sit for their national examinations.
The multi-million kina Murip wheat project has been burnt down.
On Nov 26, one of the fiercest gun battles took place at Momdei village, resulting in four deaths.People are forced to seek shelter in Mendi, Wa­bag, Laia­gam, Wapenamanda, Mt Ha­gen and Hela.
I call on the Engan police, Kandep MP and other Engan leaders to help end the tribal war.
I also urge the prime minister and police mi­nister to declare a state of emergency to control the situation.

Jerry Songpen
Kambia village, Kandep