political parties

Dr. Sanida said often people ask political parties on what they would do when they form Government or be part of a new Government but political parties in the Opposition also play an important role in the country’s democracy, especially from the perspective of “checks and balance” and offering alternative policy options. This is to say that both the Government and Opposition play a vital role. In this regard and in the context of the Seminar Series, political parties play an important role in addressing issues whether they are in Government or Opposition.

PNG NRI Director, Dr. Osborne Sanida, welcomed everyone to the 8th Political Parties’ Seminar Series and thanked and acknowledged the participating Party Executives.

General Secretary of PNG Party Kila Poka presented the party’s policies and said the party aims to serve the people to become educated, healthy, wealthy, and productive. The party believes on the Principles of Vision 2050 as its foundational pillars.

Dr Gelu was speaking at the 8^th presentation of the PNG Political Parties Seminar Series facilitated by the PNG Research Institute (PNG NRI).

“Let’s keep the policy short, let’s not go above five. If we go to ten, we will forget some of those policies. It is quite unrealistic. How can you get ten policies in to an election? Let’s bring it down and then focus and drive those policies,” Dr Gelu said.

Dr Gelu said the seminar series gives the opportunity to all the political parties to present their policies.

The party’s three policy platforms are:

1. God First,
2. Integral Human Development, and
3. Zero Tolerance on Corruption

PNG Party’s ‘God First’ platform would ensure that 10% of the national budget would best serve the churches in the country. Their reasoning, ‘Where there are no government services, the church is always there to uphold the need of the people’.

He challenged women leaders in the province to support each other in the country’s next National General Elections in 2022. 

Dr Gelu utilized the opportunity to advocate for women to step forward to contest in the coming elections. He said it is important that women have a voice in Parliament. He said women currently represent at the ward, president, and local level governments but are still not represented consistently in Parliament.

Emmanuel Pok, Director of Policy and Legal Division at the Registry of Political Parties and Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission (IPPCC), said political parties were state institutions and the challenge was now on them to make their policies known to the people and educate their members of the duties and the functions of the party.

He encouraged the political parties to do awareness as early as possible. Mr Pok was speaking on behalf of Political Parties Registrar Dr. Alphonse Gelu at the 7th seminar at PNG National Research Institute’s (PNG NRI).

The 2017 National Elections saw no women candidate voted in as a member of the national parliament which makes PNG one of only five countries in the world that has no woman member of parliament.

The IPPCC is keen to work with political parties to encourage more women to be nominated as candidates during the upcoming 2018 LLG elections and the 2022 general elections.

UNDP Assistant Resident Representative, Julie Bukikun also noted that they hope that this Expo will enable more PNG voters to find out which party’s policies represent their interests the best.

Dr Gelu said this upon receiving acquittals from the PNG National Party after the 2017 National General Elections.

He said it is important for parties and winning candidates to submit their financial returns within three months after the date they were declared.

Gelu explains that this is a requirement under sections 88 and 89 of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates.

PNG National Party General Secretary, Dick Wama, presented the party’s national election report and acquittals on Friday to the Registrar of Political Parties.

The political party with the highest number of MPs declared so far is People’s National Congress (PNC) Party (8) MPs followed by Pangu Party (5) then National Alliance (2).

Parties with only 1 MP declared so far are Melanesian Liberal Party, United Resource Party, Christian Democratic Party and Coalition for Reform.

Among the 21 declared were Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia, Peter O’Neill, and Pangu Party leader Sam Basil, who reclaimed the Bulolo Open seat.

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.