Motu-Koitabu

The last two reported declarations made today were Kirakira East and Elevala Laurabada.

Counting for the ward councillors and chairmanship of the Motu Koitabu Assembly continued into day two today.

Council wards of Pari Taota, Pari Taurama and Kirakira of Motu Koitabu East were declared.

Sitting ward councillor of Kirakira Arutu Bake was voted back.

Council wards of Poreporena Laurabada, Poreporena Lahara and Elevala Laurabada of Motu Koitabu East were also declared.

In a public statement released, Commissioner said he was disappointed that the Commission has yet to receive 900 thousand kina from the National Government and 600 thousand from the National Capital Commission.

He has now made a call to the National government and NCDC to urgently release the 1.5 million kina total funding to conduct the elections.

The Motu-Koitabu elections were now into the second week of campaigning, but ballot papers have yet to be printed because there are no funds.

This quest is one highlight of the annual Hiri Moale Festival held by the Motu and Koitabu people in Port Moresby.

More importantly, it focuses on the female ancestors who played a special role in the history, as Nou Pipi, 2017 HMF coordinator, explains.

Pipi says the Hanenamos were the newly-married women or those just about to get married to a young man on board the Lagatoi (traditional Motuan voyage canoe).

“They kept their fingers crossed the entire process,” he says.

The new road construction, which will link Hanuabada village and Waigani/Tokarara area, has been held off with the settlers and landowners (LOs) of Motu-Koitabu claiming that they were given a demolition notice instead of an eviction warning.

This morning, the Iduhu Motu-Koitabu and owners of Baruni village, who claim to be the rightful landowners, showed up at the area with the settlers and protested that the traditional land was grabbed through false claims by an Engan man (unnamed), who is married to a Hanuabada woman.