First Political

Party Formed

In P-Ng

The formation of Papua-New Guinea's first political party, the New Guinea United National Party, wai announced at the end of August.

The party's president is Gala Gala Rarua, president of the Port Moresby Workers' Association.

The party is the idea of Zur< Zurecnuoc, of Finschhafen, Under Secretary to the Treasury. To the en< of August it had 15 members, al from the P-NG House of Assembly except Rarua and an Australia! journalist, Don Hogg. The member included four of five Europeai Assembly members from open electc rates.

The party's aims fill several fools cap pages and are mostly a repetitioi of Administration policy. The Party' original primary aim was to set target date for self-government, bu this was later watered down to "ir ternal ministerial government by th end of 1968".

No one seems to know what thi means, and personally I doubt the any of it merits national headlines.

The announcement of the new part coincided with a statement in Me bourne by the Australian Territorie Minister, Mr. C. E. Barnes, that could be up to 20 years before P-Ni achieved self-government, provide outside pressure was not exerted.

Mr. Barnes said he opposed th idea of Australia bowing to pressure to rush the Territory into sel

govenment or independence.

Jud

Tudor.