By Thelma Allingham
The People of Maprik Town welcomed the month of May with the nomination of their former member of Parliament and Politician John Simon.
Pangu Party Leader, Prime Minister James Marape officiated the day with his arrival to address hundreds of John Simon’s supporters who gathered at Maprik Town Oval to withness their candidate’s nomination on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Marape urged the people of Maprik to vote wisely and make this By-Election a free, fair and safe election all the while encouraging people to support his Party and candidate John Simon.
As leader of his Party, Marape’s mandated duty is to give support where it’s due during such time.
Also present to witness the nomination process for John Simon as Pangu Party candidate for Maprik Open Electorate By-Election, was the Forestry Minister and Member for Angoram, Salio Waipo.
East Sepik Provincial Election Manager James Piapia confirmed that eight candidates including Pangu Party candidate John Simon have already been nominated with a few more expected to join the race today and tomorrow.
Piapia said John Simon is the 5th candidate to have successfully completed the nomination process following the nomination of several independent candidates and PNG Party Candidate Vincent Alois Yangwari.
Maprik District has been without a Member of Parliament since August last year, after the untimely death of the then MP Gabriel Lenny Kapris.
