Governor for Oro Gary Juffa has raised serious concern that the funding situation the nation faces and the budget cuts would seriously threaten successful delivery of the 2017 elections.
Juffa stated that already individuals and parties were busy doing early campaigning with no action taken by the Electoral Commission and Police and that was due to lack of funds.
He said recent indications of lack of funding for the Electoral Commission was dire and threatened true democracy and was a huge risk for vote rigging.
Juffa has indicated that he will ask the Opposition to demand that the UN and other international observers be present to monitor and supervise the 2017 elections.
"There is a lot at stake. Will PNG be sold or saved is the theme for Elections 2017. Already, we see a nation and a people left open to abuse and exploitation with all Government Departments poorly funded to protect and promote PNG interests and instead encouraged to sell pieces of PNG at will and whim.
“As for leaders, these are rare. It seems hardly anyone is fighting for PNG or PNG interests. In fact we are at once a nation blessed with rich resources and cursed with poor leadership," Juffa said.