Puri Ruing

Puri Ruing is a Papua New Guinea politician. He has been a Papua New Guinea Party member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007, representing the electorate of Dei Open. He previously represented the electorate from 1997 to 2002.

Ruing, a former police officer, was first elected to parliament at the 1997 general election. ["Logistical problems continue in election". "Associated Press", June 20, 1997.] He stood on the ballot line of the new People's Resources Awareness Party, but immediately joined the Christian Democratic Party upon his election. ["'Green' seat-winner switches allegiance". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", June 25, 1997.] Ruing subsequently defected to the People's Democratic Movement. ["Foreign, justice ministers sacked in reshuffle". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", December 21, 2000.] Ruing's election was the subject of an unsuccessful challenge in the Court of Disputed Returns by defeated candidate and former MP Melchior Pep. ["Papua New Guinea health minister declared bankrupt". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", October 21, 2004.]

He was appointed Vice-Minister for Treasury and Finance in the Morauta government in September 1999, and was promoted to Minister for Justice in December 2000. ["Papua New Guinea - Premier appoints new ministers". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", September 25, 1999.] ["Papua New Guinea premier sacks foreign, justice ministers, reshuffles cabinet". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", December 20, 2000.] He recontested the seat as the People's Democratic Movement candidate at the 2002 election, but was defeated by Pep, the losing candidate from 1997. [Palme, Robert. "PDM dumped in Western Highlands polling". "BBC Monitoring Service: Asia-Pacific", July 19, 2002.] Ruing had Pep briefly declared bankrupt in 2004 over his failure to pay court costs awarded over the unsuccessful 1997 challenge to his election. The bankruptcy orders were later quashed after Pep paid Ruing more than 70,000 kina to settle the debt. [Rheeney, Alex. "Pep solvent". "Papua New Guinea Post-Courier", November 4, 2004.]

Ruing contested the Dei Open seat at the 2007 general election as a candidate of Morauta's Papua New Guinea Party. He lead throughout counting, defeating Pep, who finished third. [Taime, Mal. "Two more declared in WHP". "Papua New Guinea Post-Courier", July 31, 2007.] His election is currently the subject of a challenge in the Court of Disputed Returns from second-place candidate Roy Pena. ["Court orders boxes to be welded shut until disputed returns hearing". "Papua New Guinea Post-Courier", August 17, 2007.]

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