By Wasita Royal
EAST New Britain stands at a political crossroads as prominent leaders and hundreds of local candidates prepare a historic challenge against the national government’s continued deferral of Local Level Government elections, now postponed beyond September 27, 2025.
The movement, spearheaded by respected lawyer Norbert Bunbun Kubak LLB, has gained rapid momentum through private messaging groups and the East New Britain Think Tank Association Forum with participants declaring a “constitutional crisis” and vowing to fight what they see as the systematic erosion of democratic rights.
Kubak’s explosive message to candidates cut straight to the heart of the matter stating that; “this is your opportunity to demonstrate that in this province, we will no longer sit back and suffer in silence.” Invoking the legacy of ENB’s founding fathers – Kaputin, Kereku, Tamur, Toliman and ToBaining Snr. He framed the election delays as symptomatic of deeper governance failures.
“We fought for independence in this province,” Kubak stated, “and 50 years is long enough to ask whether our forefathers did the right thing by allowing others to piggyback on their efforts.”
The response has solidified around two main strategies where John Sambie leads the legal charge, confirming he is preparing court action. “We cannot allow one or two persons to hijack our constitutional rights as if running a private tucker box,” he stated. This position gained support from Mr William Rave Koiatuna
who pointed out the financial burden: “We used our own money to campaign, only to have elections delayed. The government must compensate us.”
Meanwhile, Mr Levi Silu Orong is advocating for mass mobilization: “This is already a constitutional crisis. We don’t have to wait.” His plans include district-wide demonstrations and petition drives targeting MPs’ offices. “This concerns the people’s mandate,which is the most fundamental process of democracy,” Mr
Orong stressed in the forum.
This movement has sparked intense debate about tactics. Kubak cautioned against street protests, warning: “Opportunists could infiltrate, turning peaceful demonstrations into violence.” He instead proposed public forums or legal action as safer alternatives.
What began as frustration over election delays has become a broader reckoning with ENB’s political future.
With ENBs push for autonomy, this is definetly going to be a spark to redefine the province’s stand in awakening its politic.