PNG – Gore, a shining light for women
17th July, 2012
Gore, a shining light for women – News – Tuesday 17th July, 2012
By ISAAC NICHOLAS
WOMEN candidate for Sohe Open Seat Dellilah Puake Gore is a shining light for the women folk seeking fair representation in parliament.
Mrs Gore has stormed ahead when counting started for the electorate in Northern Province and as counting progresses as of last night she was still sitting at the top of the ladder followed closely by incumbent Anthony Nene.
Although sources from Popondetta claim Mr Nene may overtake her overnight as the boxes from Nene’s stronghold come into play, Ms Gore’s rise speaks volumes and an encouragement of the new voting trend in the country.Women have always been fighting on issues that affect the home, social welfare, family and good governance and rights issues and policies. After almost 37 years there have been only four women representatives in parliament, Dame Josephine Abaijah, Nahau Rooney, Waliata Clowes and more recently since 2002 Dame Carol Kidu who has since retired.
For the 2012 General Election a record 135 women are standing although that figure makes around 4% of the total candidates.
Legislation to create 22 Reserved Seats for women failed to pass through the last parliament although there were promises by leading political players including Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.It may seem to be another political ploy to win women support on the eve of the elections and the number of women candidates for 2012 is much higher than the 103 that stood in 2007 elections.Women candidates that are up at the top five for 2012 as counting progresses included Ms Gore (Sohe), Mary Kamang who is running second for Madang Regional, Rachael Konaka running third in North Bougainville and businesswoman Janet Sape running fifth in Moresby Northwest electorate in NCD.
Women candidate for Moresby-South electorate in NCD, Margaret Loko said yesterday only women winning elections and getting into parliament will push for the reserve seats and not the same MP’s who have promised but never delivered.“The voters are very accommodating to women candidates during campaigning and polling but the election is hijacked in the counting process.” Ms Loko said. “If we do not correct the counting process a lot of women will not make it into parliament.”“This is not a fair, free and safe election. It is the fifth election for me and it is the worst because I have seen money been passed through the counting system.
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120717/news12.htm
Gore leads in Sohe race – News – Wednesday 11th July, 2012
By NELLIE SETEPANO
TRIUMPH Heritage Empowerment party candidate Dellilah Pueka Gore was leading for the Sohe Open after count nine yesterday afternoon.
Ms Gore was trailing in the initial count but shot up past nine candidates, all of whom are men, to take up the lead yesterday. In count six she was trailing at 186 votes. It is too early to speculate anything as yet, as Northern Province is into its fourth count today but all eyes are out for any women candidates to take up any leads.Northern Province is the only province that has put up more female candidates to contest this election. Nine women are in the race for the Regional seat and two for Ijivitari Open electorate. Not much is known about Ms Gore, but she is one of the five women, and up against 50 men in the Sohe race. This maybe a chance for women in this province to make some difference but there are fears PNG may never be represented by any female MPs in the next government.
As of yesterday, 15 provinces have go into counting so far, with women yet to set pace in the top five positions. Social Democratic Party member Jean EparoParkop led in count one when counting in the province begun on Sunday. Yesterday, she was in fifth place.
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120711/news17.htm
Gore still in the race – News – Friday 13th July, 2012
SINCE the birth of Papua New Guinea and the running of elections, female candidates have faced their share of struggle against municipal preferences of male domination and leadership. Following Independence, only four women – Dame Carol Kidu, Dame Josephine Abaijah, Nahau Rooney and Waliyato Clowes have been elected to PNG’s National Parliament.
While estimates of about 50 percent turnover of MPs in the 2012 elections is anticipated, female leaders have an opportunity but the chance still remain slim. At this stage of the polls where counting is still on in many parts of PNG, only one woman and Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party candidate Delilah Gore is running competently alongside men out of 134 women vying for various seats in the country. She has set a pace among strong contending male rivals of the SoheOpen electorate in Northern Province.
Ms Gore’s early onslaught seeks to provide the feminine representation that is duly needed in the next parliament.In the 2007 elections a total of 102 women candidates nominated but only one, Dame Carol Kidu, was elected. Successors of PNG’s longest serving female parliamentarian Dame Carol Kidu will have to work harder to ensure that there is female representation.
Last September, Parliament made provisions in the constitution under the Equal Rights bill to allow for the inclusion of women electorates which will run alongside the traditional open and provincial seats.However, even though there was no Organic Law in place at the time to action the new constitutional amendment, the law allowed for the commencement of the law as of when the writs were handed down for the 2012 General Elections.However, it was too late for anything to be done.
There is still hope out there for PNG women candidates as more creep into the top 10 count. But with the boxes running short, only time will tell. Maybe the 22 reserve seats next General Election will set new records and hopefully set new trends for the women and for the country as well.