Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has proved that he was truly ‘the anointed choice’ for the people of East Sepik as he sails smoothly over the 70, 000 primary votes mark as 5pm on Friday, July 13.
At 77, 513, Sir Michael was 37,639 more votes ahead of arch rival Allan Bird, who was at 39,874.
Sir Michael’s tally reached this high at COB Friday after adding 14,461 primary votes from Angoram district tally room and another 14,195 from Yangoru Saussia – counts 28 and 15 respectively.
Correspondingly, Allan Bird scored 2,331 from Angoram and 2,884 from Yangoru Saussia to bring his progressive total to 39,874.
However, these progressive results for Sir Michael and Allan Bird did not include their primaries from Ambunti/Drekikir, Maprik, Wosera/Gawi, and Wewak as these results were unavailable at the time of printing.
A senior village citizen from Subigen (Dagua) while exiting the polling booth after casting his votes for the Wewak Open and East Sepik regional seats respectively on January 23, said “it’s been a fearful as well as painful 10 months of waiting. I am thankful that I’ve been able to and have actually voted today without fear and intimidation. It is a vote for democracy and for Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare to return and restore the pride of the East Sepik people which the Parliament erroneously usurped and abrogated on Sept 6 last year. Let’s prove to them who we are!”
Another voter and a political party provincial executive said after what Jeffrey Nape (Speaker) and “Hammer and Nail” referring to Namah and O’Neill have done to him on August 2 and Sept 6 respectively last year, the air all around the West Coast and East Sepik as a whole was for Sir Michael to return to Parliament as their regional MP.
The party executive said “we want to prove to them that Sir Michael has the continuous and overwhelming support and blessings of the East Sepik people and that he is God’s anointed to safe guard Christianity and Democracy and the Constitution of the people of Papua New Guinea,”
Sir Michael is expected to come home comfortably on the “sympathy vote” bandwagon.
Other candidates for the East Sepik regional seat including Greg Maisen, Tony James Walwal, Moses Murray, and the likes were trailing behind, at single digit figures.
Photo caption: Sir Michael who was being accompanied by Ambunti Drekikir MP Anthony Aimo (in hat) and Maprik businessman, John Simon (behind) were given a ‘laplap’ carpet treat during an electoral visit to Yambun village, Ambunti district on March 22, 2012. All three men are currently leading in their respective seats as counting continues in East Sepik; Sir Michael 77,513 ahead of Allan Bird 39,874; Aimo 5,253 (count 30) ahead of Ezekiel Anisi 4,288,and Simon 8,894 ahead of Gabriel Kapris 8,069. Picture by CYRIL GARE
