Well-known former Papua New Guinea radio and tourism personality Erigere Singin has made history by being elected as the first woman national president of the ruling Pangu Pati at its 26th National Convention in Port Moresby last Friday.
Prime Minister and Pangu leader James Marape, announced the election of Singin and other party executives after the convention.
He also announced the election of Louisah Hosea as female vice-President, Sama Auro as male vice-President, and Joe Tep as Church Representative.
Singin, from Boana in Morobe, replaces Patrick Pundao.
Marape thanked Pundao for his service to Pangu over the last seven years.
“One of the key outcomes of today was the historical election of Erigere Singin as our National President of Pangu Pati,” he said.
“It is my distinguished pleasure to make this official announcement to the country.
“It is a historical milestone for Pangu Pati.
“In 1977, the first lady into Parliament was Pangu’s Nahau Rooney, and Pangu is breaking the frontier barrier again.
“It is not only men who can do the job, women can also do the job.”
Singin thanked Marape and said what happened Friday was a breakthrough for women in the country.
Meanwhile, deputy Prime Minister and parliamentary leader of the United Labour Party, Sam Basil has called on the Registrar of Political Parties to ensure that all 60-plus political parties in the country become visible throughout the country and not just lie in wait for election periods only.
Addressing hundreds of ULP supporters, delegates and villagers in Madang’s Sumkar district on the weekend, Basil said there are so many political parties in the country but a huge majority of them are invisible, or non-existent, and only come out to play during election periods.
He said this must stop. “I call on the Registrar of Political Parties to demand that these parties hold conventions and sell their policies and ideals to the people,” Basil said.
“A lot of times parties register and go into hiding until election time, when they put up candidates and campaign without strong policies.
“Political parties must not register as a business name and come out only during elections.
This is not good for political stability.”
He said the ULP believes in visible and transparent leadership, and would use the Sumkar convention to elect executives for the Madang branch of the party to lead the province into next year’s general election.
“The ULP will use this convention to elect the executives of ULP Madang branch.
This convention is important. We won’t go running around hand-picking executives in this and other provinces.
The people of Madang must vote your own executives to run the party in the province,” Basil said.
“These executives will be impartial and will play a big part in the nomination of ULP candidates in the upcoming elections.
“We will have strict criteria for nominating candidates for ULP in the upcoming elections, the Madang branch executives will have a big role in this process.
Our candidates will not be of questionable characters.
They must live in the electorate and must have a good standing in the community either in the church, private sector or public service.
“We have not done this properly in the past, and we don’t want to repeat the same mistake. We want good leaders who won’t tarnish the name and reputation of ULP.”
He was accompanied by MPs Koni Iguan, Peter Sapia and Chris Nangoi, various LLG presidents from all corners of the province and from Basil’s Bulolo district, as well as party executives.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
