PNG party breakdown
p. 37 · Read in the full issue
A good indication of just how mobile the Members of Parliament are comes from the request the Electoral Commissioner put to candidates a few days after nominations closed.
Mr Lucas published the names of all the endorsed candidates and their party affiliations as given to him by the parties and instructed named candidates that they had three days to contact him to make any corrections.
He was giving the candidates an opportunity to check whether the party claiming them was really the party they wanted to be in.
It is also instructive that it wasn’t until these lists were published in both national daily newspapers that journalists in Port Moresby could pin down exactly what the final party numbers were in the outgoing Parliament.
Government
Peoples Democratic
Movement (Pdm)
Leader Paias Wingti (PM) Endorsed candidates: 77 Sitting members re-en dorsed: 20.
Peoples Progress
PARTY (PPP) Leader; Sir Julius Chan (DPM) En dorsed candidates: 89 Sit ting members re-endorsed; 12.
National Party: Lead
er Stephen Tago (De fence Minister) Endorsed candidates: 56 Sitting mem bers re-endorsed: 11.
United Party: Leader
Paul Torato (Police Minister) Endorsed candi dates: 26 Sitting members re-endorsed: 7.
Peoples Action
PARTY (PAP): Leader Ted Diro (Foreign Minister) Endorsed candidates: 33 Sitting members re-en dorsed: 3.
PAPUA PARTY: Leader Galeva Kwarara (Finance Minister) Endorsed candi dates: 18 Sitting members re-endorsed: 20.
Position Parties
PANGU PATI: Leader Michael Somare (Opposi tion Leader) Endorsed candidates: 105 Sitting members re-endorsed; 34.
Melanesian
ALLIANCE (MA): Leader: Father John Momis (Deputy Opposition Leader) En
dorsed candidates: 45 Sit ting members re-endorsed; 2.
Cross Benches
League For Na-
T 1 O N A L A D -
Vancement (Lna) —
Leader: Tony Siaguru En dorsed candidates: 54 Sit ting members re-endorsed: 5.
Wantok Party — Lead
er: Roy Evara Endorsed candidates: 26 Sitting mem bers re-endorsed: 1.
No Sitting Members
Papua Besena — Lead
er: Josephine Abaijah En dorsed candidates: 10 Sit ting members re-endorsed:
Nil.
Omorobe Indepen
Dents Group (Mig) —
Leader; Utula Samana (Morobe Premier) Endorsed candidates: 10 Sitting mem bers re-endorsed: NIL.
Independent
Melanesian
ALLIANCE — Leader: John Kaputin (Minerals & Energy Minister) Endorsed candidates; 2 Sitting mem bers re-endorsed; 1.
Country Party —
Leader: Sinake Giregire En dorsed candidates: 14 Sit ting members re-endorsed:
Nil.
Leiba (Labour) Party
— Leader; Mesulam Tam mur Endorsed candidates: 10 Sitting members re-en dorsed:
There are also several other groupings and candidates who are receiving support from organisations such as the Public Employees Association.
A feature of this year’s election is that photos of the candidates appear on the ballot papers along with photos of the leaders of the endorsing parties.