Soso, Kouza and Gore break dominance in 2012

In the 2012 election three women MPs were elected.

This was the best result for women candidates since 1977 when the first elections were conducted in the newly independent State of Papua New Guinea.

However, three MPs is still only a small percentage of all MPs, because elections remain dominated by men.

According to The Data on PNG elections from the Development Policy Centre of the Australian National University, in 2012, just 4 per cent of candidates were women.

In each of PNG’s regions, women candidates won lower vote shares than men in 2012. This reflects the challenges women candidates face.

On the other hand, 2012 showed that strong women candidates can sometimes win elections in PNG.

This was the case for Julie Soso who won the Eastern Highlands Regional seat unseating Malcom Kela Smith. Popular, singer-songwriter, poet and Journalist Loujaya Kouza won the Lae Open seat unseating Bart Philemon and in Northern Province’s Sohe Open Delilah Gore was victorious over 54 other candidates who contested the seat.

It is also historical to note that this is the first time  (2012 session) that  two women MPs were given ministerial portfolios. In fact, it was the same portfolio. Kouza was given the  Community Development Ministry , but when she moved over to the Opposition,  Peter ‘Neill hand the ministry to Gore.

The other strong women who have made it were Alice Wedega of Alotau who was appointed to the first PNG Legislative Assembly. Wedega was the first PNG woman to be bestowed the title of Dame by the  Queen of England and  authored a book titled – “Listen My Country” where she tells of  the role of women in a developing country, and how she changed a whole tribe of people as a young woman missionary in the Amau area of Abau District.

The women’s voice in politics became stronger when, Josephine Abaijah took the fight to a new level. She was well educated in those days and led the charge that Papua should be an independent state of its own with – Papua Besena -  being the movement to spearhead this change.

Abaijah was later elected for the Central Province seat. She later stood for the Milne Bay Regional  and won on the  women’s vote, but lasted only one term before being ousted by Luke Crittin.

However, it had been nearly 15 years or three terms of parliament since Abaijah the last woman MP was last voted to the House until 2012 when the three current MPs Soso, Kouza and Gore were voted in.

Let’s look closely at how Julie Soso won in the 2012 elections.

Soso was the only woman who contested in a field of 40 candidates for the Eastern Highlands Provincial seat in 2012. She caused the biggest upset in the Highlands region unseating incumbent Malcom KelaSmith and showing the Highlands has what it takes to win elections and become Members of Parliament.

Loop PNG brings you the top five candidates’ results.

She won by 1,810 votes from nearest rival polling a total of 34,267 overall, with 8.1 percent first preference votes and “after votes – second and third preferences” of a high 28.3 percent.

According to The Data on PNG elections from the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National University

Moses Namagileso who was runner up polled 32,457 with a 7.7 percent first preference vote.  Businessman Simon Sia polled 28, 718 for which 6.8 percent were first preference votes.

Sia was followed by Malcom Kela Smith with 21,963 with 5.2 percent first preference votes while  fifth candidate was Heriso Gahekave who polled 15,105 and 3.6 percent first preference votes.

The Development Policy Centre at ANU also noted that the Invalid Ballots or votes totalled a huge 13,844 with 3.3 percent being first preference votes.

In the upcoming elections Eastern Highlands Provincial seat will see a total of 55 candidates,  an increase of 15 more from 2012 which had 40, including Soso who will  defend her seat.

The bad dream for Soso here, is that Kela Smith, Heriso Gahekave,  Simon Sia, who polled in the top five in 2012 will be her sparring partners for the long haul with the rest following in tow.

Former MP Castan Maibawa, medical doctor Banare Bun are part of the group vying for the seat.

A number factors will obviously play a critical and crucial role in who will be the eventual winner in this race.

The Common Roll will play a major part in seeing who will vote, and those eligible voters who will miss out from voting because they have not registered, or because their name(s) have not been included in the Common Roll, or because their names have been erased from the Roll.

Another interesting fact is that this will be the third time in the history of PNG elections that the Preferential Voting system will be used. This means that three votes are cast by a single voter for three different candidates according to their preference. Preference 1, Preference 2 and  Preference 3.

There will also be two candidates which one voter will vote for. The Regional candidate and the Open candidate. This means the voter has six (6) powerful preferential votes which he or she will cast. So think carefully before you cast your six votes.

Voters and candidates and political parties are aware and will be more systematic in the way they will campaign because all six (6) preferential votes hold power.

Please note that the “First past the post” system was first used from 1977 to the 2002 national elections. The Preferential Voting System was introduced in 2007 and 2012 and will continue in 2017.

Whatever it will be, people are urged to vote carefully and to understand that all your six (6) preferential votes can make a valued difference.

                                                                                                                     

Links:

Development Policy Centre at ANU - http://bit.ly/2qAp4SG

 

Picture source:

 Centre for Democratic Institutions

 

Author: 
Alfred Kaniniba