LBS RESPONDS TO MOTU KOITA ASSEMBLY’S CALL
By Joel ANDREW
MEMBER for Port Moresby North-West, Hon. Lohia Boe Samuel, has strongly rebutted recent media statement by the Motu Koita Assembly (MKA) on issues surrounding the upcoming Hiri Moale Festival.
In a media statement on Tuesday 4th of March 2025, the MKA administration called on the Moresby North-West MP to refrain from politicising the upcoming 2025 Hiri Moale Festival.
They made the call in response to the MP’s earlier call to have the annual Hiri Moale Festival cancelled, in order to accommodate the MKA elections which is also scheduled take place in April this year.
Given the importance of the annual festival event, the MKA administration further called on the MP to concentrate on other development areas and allow the festival event to ahead from 3rd to 6th April as scheduled.
The MP, however nullified their call as it does not reflect the leadership that he has been providing in respect to the quest for the MKA’s election entry to the electoral commission through a petition.
The Moresby North-West MP clarified that as a mouthpiece of the Motu Koitabu people, he rallied behind their petition to have the election conducted as scheduled to avoid further deferrals.
He said the Motu Koita Assembly Elections were overdue as it was delayed over a period of two years since 2023.
“The people compiled a petition, requesting a new election for the assembly and I gave my support as their mandated leader and mouthpiece to the government,” the MP stated.
“The current regime has been illegally operating for two years, and so the people requested for a deferment of this annual prestigious cultural event, because writs will be issued on April 24th, according to Minister Soroi Eoe, who received the petition,” he added.
The local MP reaffirmed his support to the Motu Koita people, and called on the current MKA administration to refrain from illegal operations after the expiry of their legal term in office.
In support of all five demands compiled in the petition, Lohia Boe Samuel voiced out on postponing the Hiri Moale Festival to a later date as the elections for Motu Koita Assembly is scheduled to resume on April by the Electoral Commission.
He reiterated his call to the current MKA regime not collide this prestigious cultural event for the indigenous people of Port Moresby with the elections coming up in April.
The local MP called for the Hiri Moale Festival to be hosted on a later date so that a new administration can conduct it together with the 50-year Jubilee Celebrations of Papua New Guinea later this year.
