2017 Elections

Gamato singled out the practise of allowing one person to mark ballot papers on behalf of other eligible voters to stop.

He said a tough stance will be taken against electoral officers who do not adhere to rules and laws governing elections.

Meanwhile, 10 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and United States have expressed interests to send observers to monitor this year’s National Elections.    

Gamato said assistance will be sought from the Australian Government to help in transportation of electoral materials.    

Electoral Commissions, Patilias Gamato, said the Roll updating exercise will conclude on April 19.

However, he says they will allow for verifications, for example, if the name of a person on the Roll has died.

He said the final Electoral Roll should then be released before polling.

“Hopefully before June 24 that’s before the polling we should print the final Roll I’ll get it certified and distribute it for use in the elections,” he said.

Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu said that is why less women are being endorsed by parties.     

 Dr Gelu said parties endorse candidates they think have big chances of winning.

“Political parties see that women have less chance compared to men. And we are trying to change that.”

Registrar of Political Parties said the concluded Parliament Practice was conducted with UNDP for potential women intending candidates is an avenue to promote women candidates.  

Only three female MPs are in this term of Parliament. 

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill stressed that it was a government caucus decision and not a one-man decision.

He said the proposed law is not intended to restrict people to stand for elections but was introduced because of the increasing cost of running the elections.

The last reading to amend the Organic Law on National and Provincial and Local-Level Government Elections will go before Parliament in the last sitting of Parliament this month.

“Party leader (Sam Basil) made a commitment to establish a ministry for Coffee alone, turning Coffee Industry Corporation into a ministry because it is the back bone of PNG,” Party General Secretary Morris Tovebae said.

He added that the party plans to also increase budget allocation to the agriculture sector to K1 billion annually.

Tovebae said this is the message the party will take into the elections.

He was speaking at the National Research Institute Political Parties Forum held on Tuesday in Port Moresby.

NRI director Dr. Charles Yala said, PNG Elections are a colourful event that happens after five years and has its own dimension.

He said voters do not normally vote on party policies but vote according to their short and long term needs.

In an example, he said the behaviour of a voter in the Highlands region will be different from a person from the Coastal part of the country.

Dr Yala said, the high illiteracy rate, country’s diverse culture and geographical landscapes also influence voter behaviour.     

NRI director Dr Charles Yala made the confirmation in a media conference today.

The public forum will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting next week, and the eight sessions will be held this month at NRI conference room in Port Moresby.

Dr Yala said the aim of the forum is to encourage political parties to develop constructive policies and give awareness to the voting population.     

“Our interest is to make an input into the policy debate during the national elections.

Kua, a former Attorney General challenged the Gamato to set the parameters for the administration and supervision of the entire process of the General Elections.

He called on Gamato to confirm that the Governor-General's invitation to the political party with the most winning seats to form government will be extrapolated from the nomination forms and not from Form 29 of the Electoral Commission.

They are the 2017 General Election and the 2018 APEC Summit.

Lupari told heads of missions and representatives from the diplomatic community, in a briefing last Friday, that PNG will maintain constant dialogue and share information with them to deliver the milestone events.

“Those are major events as far as our calendar for 2017 and 2018. And we can’t do it on our own,” Lupari said.

“We need all your support, understanding and cooperation to make sure we deliver those two events.”

Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says serving LLG members are not barred by law to contest national elections.

He explained that section 30 of the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments allows LLG members to contest or hold other public leadership responsibilities.

“The Organic Law does not prevent the LLG elected members from contesting the 2017 national elections while serving as elected members of an LLG,” Gamato said.