Giregire puts his hand up to be Governor General

Pioneer Eastern Highlands planter, businessman, politician and former candidate for Governor General, Sinake Giregire, has announced his intention to contest for the vice regal job.
Due to past anomalies, he has personally collected the nomination form from the office of clerk, National Parliament, and has written to concerned Members of Parliament to nominate and vote for him.
He said despite being a founder of two political parties (United and Country) and also being president of Country, he wanted to be bipartisan.
Giregire said he stood for a united, peaceful and prosperous Papua New Guinea.
“My work and experience in the formative years of PNG puts me in good stead for this position,” he said.
Giregire said he had served as councilor and president on the area authority (now provincial governments) and also in pre and post-independence Parliament and had the experience.
“Further, I want to protect the constitution,” he said.
“I believe that I am the only-elected Papua New Guinean who had served on all three constitutional development and planning committees from 1964-1975 and would do my best to maintain and respect that role as being one of its architects.
“Further, this is not my first time to raise my hand for this vice regal position.
“In 1975, I was nominated with along with John Guise (later Sir) for the position of first Governor General on Independence Day.
“However, I lost with a margin of three votes.
“Nonetheless, when Sir John Guise resigned to contests the 1977 elections, Country Party and I nominated Sir Tore Lokoloko who succeeded in that post.”
Giregire, from 1955 till today, is a gold miner, coffee planter, coffee factory owner and entrepreneur
In 1957 he became a pioneer member of Highlands Farmers & Settlers Association and has been president since 1984.
Also in 1957, he was councilor and first president of Asaro Watabung local government council.
From 1964-1968 he was Member of House of Assembly for Goroka Open, and from 1968-1977 was Member of Parliament for Daulo Open.
Giregire was Minister (or Undersecretary to Administrator) for Services from 1964-1968, Minister (Ministerial Member) for Agriculture Stock & Fisheries from 1968-1969 and Minister for Posts & Telegraphs from 1970-1972.
He founded Highlands Commodity Exchange in 1961, Compass (United) Party in 1967, Farmset in 1969 and Country Party in 1974.
“Currently, I am involved in coffee plantations and am president of the PNG Country Party and Highlands Farmers & Settlers Association,” Giregire said