2017 National Election

The workshop will be conducted by United National Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with National Parliament of PNG, Department of Community Development and Religion and Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.

This workshop is for women who are considering standing for the 2017 national elections and women community leaders who wish to develop their leadership, advocacy and policy skills. 

The Finance Secretary said the media statement released by Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato was misleading.

“The statement is made with complete ignorance of the government’s budget management processes which are embedded in law,” Dr Ngangan said.  

“It is not in law to randomly transfer funds from one appropriation to another and there is an established process to do that. Both TFF and Electoral Commissions are high priority funding for the government this year.

The Kandep MP and parliamentary leader of Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party made this comment in a media conference in Port Moresby today.

Polye said with limited funding the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) will not be able to run a free and fair election.  

He said the funding constrain have affected the updating of Common Roll and also preparation for the elections which is fve months away.

Gamato said that all the 10 million ballot papers for the provincial and open seats will be unpacked in Port Moresby, and later repacked according to enrolment figures for each electorate before been dispatched.

He said that is the same distribution process used in the last 8 elections.

“The ballot papers will be handled under tight security because they are very sensitive election materials,” Gamato said.

“All the ballot papers will be delivered to all the 22 provinces two weeks in advance before the commencement of polling on June 24. 

Central Provincial Police Commanders, Laimo Asi said this upon presenting his 2017 election security plan yesterday to the Central/NCD Commander at Boroko Police Station.

PPC Asi said preparations for the conduct of elections went well in the previous elections. ͞

Police personnel will be on ground at their assigned location beginning with the awareness, campaigning, polling, counting and declaration and security will be divided equally to all districts, PPC Asi said.

Basil argued that Indonesia is a country known for being corrupt and dangerous. Also, PNG should understand that we share common borders with Indonesia.

Basil continues to question whether the printing of ballot papers in Indonesia will include printing of the names of electorates and provincial seats.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is yet to answer these questions. 

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill made this response in response to series of questions from Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil, today in Parliament.   

“Mr Speaker, I will get the Electoral Commissioner to put a public advertisement on his decision about printing and election dates,” O’Neill said.

“Electoral Commissioner must be transparent and accountable to the people of Papua New Guinea so everybody is aware of how he is conducting the elections.”

O’Neill was responding to a series of questions from Opposition Leader Don Polye during Question Time in Parliament today.  

Opposition Leader Don Polye asked who is the in-country agent of the Indonesia Company awarded to print ballot papers, the bidding process, the cost compared to Government Printing Office, shareholding of Tried Print and the extension of Form 29 to fill bio-data of intending candidates.  

All intending candidates were advised to fill Form 29 - Candidate Biodata Form, from PNG Electoral Commission’s provincial offices or PNGEC Headquarters in Port Moresby.    

Candidates were at the headquarters as early as 8 this morning to submit their biodata and by mid-morning, the reception was packed with intending candidates jostling to hand in their forms. More than 100 have already handed in their papers.

Our Development Party (ODP) was first registered during the 2012 National Elections and endorsed 40 candidates around the country.

Party leader Sir Puka Temu was the only candidate to win the election in 2012.

Party general secretary Habia Babe says with the slogan ‘Our people deserve better’, ODP’s vision is for people to be educated, healthy, wealthy and wise.

Babe highlighted that people in PNG deserve better in terms of services and development for both infrastructure and human development.