Dr Alphonse Gelu

Dr Gelu said it is influenced by the environment and culture of the people.  

“Our systems of elections in PNG are still very much influence by factors that are clearly unconventional, factors that are illegal and truly undemocratic.”

Dr Gelu was speaking on Tuesday, to journalists attending a media election training workshop conducted by the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) and Australian Electoral Commission.        

He said the conduct of election is the core business of PNGEC.

The 2017 National Election writs will be issued in April, and 44 political parties will be endorsing candidates for the 111 seats in Parliament.     

Dr Gelu said parties cannot be seen as operating out of hotel rooms or under the trees.

“In convention, political parties will also endorse their plans. Campaign plans would allow the political parties to have a clear plan on how they would approach the election. The campaign plans would include things such as the messages, policies, campaign schedules, finance, and so on. 

The 10 parties invited to present their four main party policies where; Paradise Kingdom Party (PKP), PNG Socialist Party (PNGSP), PNG One Nation Party (PNGONP), PNG First Party (PNGFP), Model Nation Party (MNP), Trust PNG Party (TPNGP), PNG Youths Party, PNG Human Rights Party (PNGHRP), Nations Interest Party, and PNG Wantok in Godly Services Party (WINGS).

Party officials who attended were PNGSP, PNGONP, PNGHRP, PKP, TPNGP, PNGFP, MNP and WINGS.             

The issue of Writs for the 2017 National Elections will be issued on April 20.

The forum will be held twice a week this month, and will be open to the general public.

An official announcement will be made by the country’s think tank today.

A total of 19 political parties have representation in the current Parliament, and with the elections less than 2 months away, many deregistered and new parties have registered with the Political Parties and Candidates Commission.

The Registry of Political Parties would like to promote debates amongst leaders of various political parties as they must become visible to the people.

Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu urges leaders to talk about their policies thus making elections in PNG to be policy driven by the leaders of the political parties.

Dr Gelu said it’s better to put leaders of political parties together in a room and give them equal time to talk about their parties and their policies.

Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu says registration fees for the establishment of the party has been paid and the party is undergoing a screening process along with seven other proposed parties.

Early this month, Dr Gelu issued a warning to the public about the existence of a group called ‘Paradise Kingdom’, which he alleged were soliciting funds to contest the elections.

Gelu said they did not have a political party registered under that name and so advised people not to give them funds.

He said the actions hinged on false pretense and fraud.

He said the party is registered both with Investment Promotion Authority and with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties and Candidates.

His comments come following reports that the Registrar of Political Parties and Candidates has indicated that a certain political party is about to be deregistered for failing to register with the Investment Promotion Authority.

Polye added that THE party is vibrant and ready to “work with coalition partners” to form the next government after the 2017 general election.

This is the message from the Registrar of the Integrity Political Parties and Candidates Commission, Dr Alphonse Gelu.

Dr Gelu said it was normal practice for party executives to contest elections without resigning from the positions they were elected too by party members.

He said if they were unsuccessful, they would return and take up the position again.

“This behaviour has to stop,” says Gelu.

“The thing we want to instill in our political party systems is following proper procedures and this is one of the issues.” 

PNG's registrar of Political Parties, Alphonse Gelu, last week suggested that electors should vote for parties rather than individual political candidates.

He mooted the idea with a view to strengthening political parties.

Paul Barker from the Institute of National Affairs said a simple system is needed as the current one is too complicated to easily convey what individual candidates stand for.

In a news conference Gelu explained that Inter Oil’s security department had issued a security alert with misleading information.

The security bulletin which was widely circulated said

“A call has been made for nationwide protests on Monday 26^th October against another attempt by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to change the law.