Kandep commended for giving Polye

By MALUM NALU

 

The people of remote Kandep, Enga, have been commended for giving Treasurer Don Polye to the country and to the world as chairman of World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Finance Minister and Tari MP, James Marape, made the commendation to a crowd of over 10,000 people who gathered at Kandep station last Friday to welcome Polye, six senior government ministers and other MPs.

Marape, who represented Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, told that people that Polye had unselfishly given the job of Deputy Prime Minister to his Triumph Heritage Empowerment (THE) Party deputy Leo Dion.

“If Don Polye was a selfish man, he today would be Deputy Prime Minister,” he said.

“But Don Polye agreed for Peter O’Neill to be Prime Minister, and gave the Deputy Prime Ministership to a man from the coast (Dion).

“I thank the people of Kandep for this.

“The jobs of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister may belong to someone else, but the man who cuts and shares the pig (budget) is Don Polye.”

Marape told the Kandep people that if not for Don Polye, they would have continued to be a forgotten backwater.

“If not for Don Polye, you would still be in your swamps looking for fish,” he said.

“Now you see the road from Mendi, which will go on to Tari and Laiagam.

“Kandep is in the middle of Mendi, Laiagam, Tari, Porgera, Wapenamenda and Wabag.

“You are ready to run.

“You have the leadership which has been recognised by the world and Papua New Guinea.

“If 2017, if his party has the numbers, we will support him and give him the prime ministership.”