NIP HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SITTING HELD TO ELECT ACTING GOVERNOR
By Rebecca MARIGU, Kavieng
New Ireland Province held its first Provincial House of Assembly sitting on Wednesday 26th March 2025 to elect an Acting Governor to fill up the vacancy left behind by late Governor Right Sir Julius Chan.
The sitting began with the swearing in of Member for Kavieng and Minister for Treasury Ian Ling Stuckey into the floor of Assembly almost 2 years after the National General Election.
In the house the Deputy Clerk for the National Parliament who is specifically on the ground to assist the Assembly Clerk to run the meeting.
Member for Namatanai Walter Schnaubelt raised a point of order for a letter from the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government stating the powers of the LLG representatives and the appointed representatives to vote on the floor of Assembly to be clarified.
According to the Organic Law only mandated leaders are eligible to vote on the floor of Parliament.
Asking for adjournment to seek clarification to address the house Schanubelt stressed for that procedures and protocol must be adhered to with the confines of the organic Law.
Also witnessing this historical moment for New Ireland are high level ministers and members of Parliament including Governor for Morobe Luther Wenge and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Koni Iguan.
Meanwhile the people of New Ireland continue to wait in anticipation to see who their Acting Governor is going to be.
