After 30 years, voters showed veteran politician the exit door
THE nation’s longest serving politician Job Duddley Tausinga has finally lost the North New Georgia Constituency – a seat he held for three decades.
He becomes the first major casualty in Wednesday’s polls – going down to a little-known John Dean Kuku, who contested as an independent.
Mr Kuku polled 1,508 votes to dethrone Mr Tausinga, who held the seat since the third parliament in 1984.
Mr Tausinga won the seat in the 1984 election when it was first created and named North West New George.
He has not lost the elections since.
In one of the previous elections, he stood unopposed.
His ousting was believed to be connected to the currentt rift within the Christian Fellowship Church (CFC), which saw Mr Tausinga on one side and his late brother and spiritual leader of CFC, Sir Ikan Rove, on the other.
CFC was founded by Mr Tausinga’s father Silas Eto.
Mr Tausinga’s hold on the North New Georgia seat over the last 30 years was a direct result of the strong and undivided support he’d received from the leadership and followers of CFC.
His successor Mr Kuku is the chairman of the North New Georgia Timber Corporation (NNGTC) and an executive member of the CFC.
He used to be a secondary school teacher.
NNGTC is a company owned by landowners of North New Georgia.
Meanwhile, outgoing Vella La Vella MPs Milner Tozaka and Lionel Alex have both retained their seats.
Mr Alex, South Vella Constituency, polled 2,652 ahead of Rence Sore, 1,850 and Christian Mesepitu, 148.
Mr Tozaka collected 1,509 votes in North Vella La Vella Constituency ahead of Jennings Movobule, 1,094, Clezy Rore, 456, and Western Province Premier, Robert Pye Kuve, 377.
The provisional results were declared by Returning Officer Derol Michael and Robert Riqeo in front of the Police station after 6pm yesterday.
Hundreds of people have turned up to witness the announcement of the results.
In South Vella La Vella, about 4,661 voters casted their ballots from the 4,900 registered voters.
Up North Vella, 3,536 voters casted their ballots of s have been casted in North Vella La Vella constituency from the 3,840 registered voters.
Counting for Shortlands, Marovo, Ranoggah Simbo, South New Georgia Rendova Tetepare, and West New Georgia Vona Vona continues today.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
in Gizo
