The new members of PANGU party, who joined on May 10th, want to see landowners of Wafi-Golpu benefit economically, through greater consultation and participation of the project.
Economic liberation is one of the main agendas for this re-grouped party.
Former PNC members who resigned from the party, led by James Marape, want to see economic liberation and for landowners to have more say over their resources.
“This is an opportunity for a young group of leaders to embrace the past, preparing a nation for life beyond 50 years of a nation,” Marape said.
“The performance so far as in harnessing development has been very poor, that is why these block of leaders have broken free, and to establish a platform where we can be truly economically independent.”
Majority of the leaders who left PNC were clearly not happy with the distribution of landowner resource benefits from the Papua LNG project.
“Morobe Province hosts an important mine that is coming up, in Wafi- Golpu, we don’t want it to be hasty and rushed like the Papua LNG. We want greater consultation, participation by all stakeholders, and that is where our thought of economic liberation is all about.”
They believe the re-branded Pangu Party can give economic liberation as it did Independence in 1975.
“This is a coalition of like-minded leaders who are coming out and we are standing with a call, to take back PNG,” added Marape.
With all the political movement in party memberships, members who resigned from parties have been reminded to formally lodge their resignation with parties and the office of the Registrar of Political Parties and Candidates.
(James Marape, right, with PANGU Party leader and Morobe Governor, Ginson Saonu)