Parliament resumes today for the September session with much to attend to on the agenda including another Vote of No Confidence motion; however, before all that can take place, the body of the late Member (MP) for Central Bougainville will Lie- In- State at the Parliament House.
The body of the late MP, Fr. Simon Dumarinu will Lie- In- State this afternoon at parliament in Port Moresby from 2pm to 3pm for his Member colleges and dignitaries to pay their final respects to the leader.
As per the program for today, the body of the late MP will arrive at the National Parliament 2pm from the Funeral Home at Erima, where before that, the funeral service held at the St Joseph Catholic Church in East Boroko.
The Lie- In- State ceremony will be for an hour where the Speaker of Parliament will take the lead in the ceremony at the National Parliament.
The late MP was first elected to the 10th National Parliament in the 2017 National General Elections. He served as Minister for Bougainville Affairs following the formation of the then O’Neill- Abel Government in August 2017 until 2018 where he was replaced by Mr. Sam Akoitai following a recount of votes that was ordered by Court of Disputed Returns.
He was re- elected to the 11th National Parliament for the Central Bougainville Open Electorate in 2022 General Election. He served as committee member for various Parliamentary Committees including Communication, Constitutional Laws, Acts and Subordinate Legislations, and Privileges and Health following the formation of the Marape- Rosso Government on the 9th of September 2023.
The late MP also served as a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Customary Land and Reforms in Papua New Guinea.
He was a member of the Social Democratic Party.