YANGORU-SAUSSIA MP Richard Maru is the new Parliamentary Leader of the People’s First Party (PFP).
Maru who resigned from the People’s National Congress Party on 15th January, 2021 as the deputy party leader was official welcomed by PFP President Dominic Krasombi and Secretary-General Sir Peter Honale on behalf of Patron, Non-Parliamentary Leader and former Morobe Governor Luther Wenge who couldn’t attend citing medical reasons.
The ceremony was binding with the Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu confirming Maru’s membership of PFP since 17 February, 2021.
Maru expressed his gratitude to PFP party founder Luther Wenge and the party executives for accepting him as the Parliamentary leader.
He said political parties are essential institutions of democracy and under his leadership one of their priorities is to build the People’s First Party as a strong national institution.
“We want to build a vibrant, accountable and inclusive party that offers citizens meaningful choices and opportunities for political participation,” Maru said.
He said PFP will be rebuilt on concrete political ideologies, values and policy platforms that focusses on people and their spiritual and physical well-being as the number one priority.
“PFP is not simply a vehicle for achieving and maintaining political power. It is an institution that carries the aspirations and dreams of our past, current and future generations. It places Yahveh Elohim, God as Supreme Ruler, and in Him, we have People First, then our country and leaders as servants. We believe in our people and their potential to achieve great things and make our country great, with God and their Government. Together we can,” Maru said.
He said PFP will also set a standard in PNG that institutions of political parties can garner support and raise funds outside of the corrosive culture of inflated Government contracts kick-back system and the abuse of public power for political incentives, which essentially amounts to corruption.
“Good governance will be another key priority, starting with PFP, and that includes the integrity of our leadership”.
“PNG enjoys democratic longevity, spanning over 45 years of continuous national elections and peaceful exchanges of executive power. However, this extended period of democratic government still places PNG at the lower end of the world’s socio-economic development indicators. The well-being of our people, particularly 85% of our people in the rural areas, and their access to economic opportunities has not improved. We are endowed with so much natural resources, yet poor in terms of income and wealth distribution,” Maru reiterated.
He further stated that our effort PNG’s socio-economic development indicators continue to remain poor.
“85% of our people in rural areas face unimaginable hardships and the welfare and wellbeing of these majority is the focus of our party. Opportunities go begging because of a lack of vision and direction in leadership and our meagre financial resources despite our vast natural resource endowments”.
“PFP will be a national institution with broader national development agenda that aims to translate opportunities into socio-economic values through our comprehensive policies. After all, political instability and weak party system without ideologies is a key factor undermining policy stability, continuity, planning and development in PNG”.
Maru confirmed that PFP will join government and support Prime Minister James Marape government until 2022 national elections.
“It is critical to have political stability during these most challenging and uncertain times of Covid19 and economic downturn that is hurting our people and our economy.”