The death of Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minster hours before the official start of the election period has left Morobeans stunned.
As early as 8am, people gathered outside his residence at DCA point in Lae. While the women wept, many of the men remained numb with disbelief.
“We are in a state of confusion. Our families are confused. We are questioning why this happened,” said Deputy Speaker and Markham MP, Koni Iguan who has been close to Basil’s side in the last formation of government.
“We are speaking to the family. We hope to get consent soon for a post mortem.”
Sam Basil’s entry into politics in 2007 marked the start of a vibrant and colorful political career. As a member of one of the smallest parliamentary oppositions led by Vanimo Green MP, Belden Namah, Basil was vocal about the distribution of electoral grants by the former PNC led Government under Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.
At one stage, he personally picketed the finance department office to demand the payment of delayed district grants.
His real political prowess shone when he revived Pangu, Sir Michael Somare’s original party; a political vehicle that led PNG to Independence.
Through the revived Pangu, Basil secured eight out of the 10 seats in Morobe, the biggest win by Pangu party since 1982.
People are continuing to gather in Lae as they await a formal announcement by the Prime Minister and the Morobe provincial Government.
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