PNG NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS 2022 - PANGU PATI

 

EVELE TO CHANGE THE COLOUR of ABAU

 

By JOHN PANGKATANA

THE song and dance of elections is awash across the nation.

Little valleys, high mountains, sandy islands and dusty outposts that are largely forgotten, are suddenly coming alive with the fever of elections 2022.

One such unknown dusty corner of Central Province is Kupiano. If you are a regular highway traveler, you will be familiar with Kupiano Station at the end of the Magi Highway.

Of note is the condition of the muddy highway that takes you there. You need a strong heart, a stronger body and tough butt to take the bouncing, rocking, boggy state of the sometimes impassable road.

One man stepping up to change the scope of the muddy road is popular local Evele Kala.

With colourful Kala, change for the better seems imminent.

That was quite obvious on May 19 when a blaze of green covered the dusty Kupiano Station township streets when Kala went to nominate to contest the Abau Open seat.

The Pangu Party green shirts marched in huge numbers in a show of force never seen since the days of the Genia brothers.

There was a huge buzz, an aura of excitement and tension as patriotic supporters of their Maopa candidate moved in unison to demonstrate that they will be a strong threat during polling.

Their presence in numbers even upset some of their rivals with a near confrontation.

Kala, who was runner-up in the last election, looks to have the goods with the backing of the leading political party to cause an upset.

Like all other intending candidates, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know they will be campaigning for improved government services, infrastructure, better roads, better hospital services, schools and the development of the stations at Kupiano, Magarida, Moreguina and Upulima to name a few areas that sadly had seen better days.

Kala was not a threat the previous election but this time he looks to have done his homework and already looks a strong bet to shake the polls.

The businessman does not mince his words and told his supporters that he will deliver what he promises to deliver.

“It’s time for the people of Abau to rise again and we must stand firm as we face the challenges before us,” Kala said.

Described as a humble silent achiever, that may however change as the numbers shown on his nomination begs to differ.

At the end of the day, the people of Abau will speak for themselves in this numbers game that will determine how they want to progress.

If change is imminent, then Kala is as colourful as it gets.