Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG ATTITUDE

Australia was partly responsible for rigged election: Sir Mek

SIR MEKERE MORAUTA

THE resignation of the election advisory committee sends a loud and clear signal that the conduct of the Papua New Guinean election had been highjacked by Peter O’Neill, Isaac Lupari and the electoral commissioner, ably assisted by the police commissioner, the defence force commander and the secretary for finance.

The members of the committee, ombudsman Richard Pagen, Richard Kassman and Professor John Luluaki are all extremely capable men of high integrity. They will not have taken the decision to resign lightly.

Court orders that expelled missionary can return to PNG

RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL

PAPUA New Guinea's national court has ordered the country’s Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority to facilitate the return to the country of New Zealander Douglas Tennent.

The religious lay worker was deported last month for allegedly breaching the terms of his religious worker visa.

As a qualified lawyer working for the Archbishop of Rabaul, Mr Tennent had been advising landowners at West Pomio who were involved in a contractual wrangle with logging and palm oil multinational company Rimbunan Hijau.

Election included botched common roll, vote buying: observers

KEITH JACKSON

IN its first published comment on the troubled Papua New Guinean elections, the Commonwealth Observer Group has issued an interim statement that calls for an urgent review of the electoral roll.

The group’s chairman, Sir Anand Satyanand, said it was critical that expertise and funding for creating a credible roll be provided in a timely manner before the next election and said that the PNG government had ignored previous observer group reports addressing the same issue.

"The people of Papua New Guinea deserve better and eligible voters must be allowed to exercise their democratic right and participate in their national elections," said Sir Anand.

Radio New Zealand International reports that the observer group also said vote-buying was also a matter of concern.

PNG election thrust into new crisis as advisory committee quits

KEITH JACKSON

THE PNG election advisory committee resigned en masse yesterday, saying it lacked the information required to to perform its constitutional duties in the current national election

The PNG Facts website reports that at a press conference in Port Moresby Sunday afternoon, committee members Professor John Luluaki and Richard Kassman (pictured) made their dissatisfaction clear.

“We asked for copies of reports noting distribution to electorates, wards, polling stations,” they said.

“We requested copies of reports pre-polling, during polling and post- polling. We were expected to receive summaries pre- counting and now that counting has commenced, regular reporting.

EMTV turns 30 – having captured a slice of PNG history

SERAH AUPONG | EMTV News/Asia Pacific Report

WHILE Papua New Guineans know of EMTV, many do not know how the national television station started.

From humble beginnings as a community television program and children’s show, Kids Kona, in July 1987, a mighty communications medium grew.

Back then, in an effort to get the public behind the new TV broadcaster, display screens were set up in markets around Port Moresby.

Francis Nii - a Model Writer

JIMMY AWAGL

A sincere tribute to Francis Nii

Literature is an intrinsic art
Brushed from human intelligence 
Inscribed by paintings of words

Expressing a complete notion
Even if in a flowery form
By an artistic writer come stylist

Informative and catchy as others may be
It is Francis Nii’s paintings in words
That are unique and extraordinary 

His literary output comprehensive
His poetry spartan, perhaps enigmatic
His essays well thought and thought provoking

His short stories strong moral tales
And he encourages others to write
And to leave a legacy of words

So what's next for PNG’s controversial national election?

KEITH JACKSON

THE 24 boxes seized by electoral officials in Buin, Bougainville, and another 18 held in Tinputz because of the electoral commission’s failure to pay outstanding fees, seemed to sand as a metaphor for what has been a disorderly and ill-tempered national election in Papua New Guinea.

But, with voting complete and counting slowly continuing towards an end of July or early August conclusion, what is likely to happen now?

As the Foreign Brief website points out, given that PNG does no opinion polling, there’s no guidance as to which part or group of parties will emerge in control.

Dr Niblett’s death should be a call to action to all PNGns

ROBYN E ROBINSON

I WANT to thank Scott Waide for his article on the death of oncologist, Dr John Niblett.

How can we as Papua New Guineans say our culture is based in respect when our actions are not in alignment with our beliefs?

Is this how we treat elders and pioneers who contribute to our country? This is not right.

What is the purpose of being in a position of authority when we cannot do what is ethically right in every sense of the word?

It's simple - get out of the chair you're sitting in and attend to the issue at hand.

PNG election wrap: From feelings of hope to fears of dictatorship

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH

FEELINGS of “anticipation and excitement” had gripped Papua New Guinea as polling opened last month.

Auckland University of Technology doctoral candidate Stephanie Tapungu and husband Kenneth Tapungu told our Southern Cross radio program that rising female representation and online engagement were a source of hope.

The PNG Electoral Commission reported the number of female candidates standing in the two-week election comprised 165 of the 3,332 candidates. The only province that did not register a female candidate was West New Britain.

“There’s been a rise in women’s numbers,” Kenneth Tapungu told Southern Cross, “and this has in a way really changed the dynamic of the game itself and this has really challenged the existing status quo of elections and campaigns.”

But the anticipation and excitement was short-lived and quickly descended into condemnation of the electoral roll as thousands of people reported they had not been listed despite registering and there were also reported disruptions at election places.

LNG bonanza for some but we should govern for all PNGns

KESSY SAWANG | The PNG Woman | Extracts

THE people and economy of Papua New Guinea are mired in the resource curse.

Our extractive resources should provide the means, through the income flows they generate, to escape the development trap and move Papua New Guineans towards a substantially improved quality of life.

This was always the hope for the substantial income flow from the liquefied natural gas project – that it would help secure PNG’s shared future prosperity.

Our country’s constitution lays down a directive principle that our natural resources be used for “the collective benefit of us all, and be replenished for the benefit of future generations”.

And where is the Prime Minister?

JIMMY AWAGL

Economic crisis; disappearing revenues
Misappropriation of our natural resources
And where is the prime minister?

Constitutional crisis; despised legislation
Undermining of our mama lo
And where is the prime minister?

Election crisis despite all the gris tok
Roll, ballots, turmoil, delays
And where is the prime minister?

Vote controversy mars PNG elections as counting gets underway

AL JAZEERA

COUNTING is underway in Papua New Guinea’s sprawling election but voting has been marred by claims of rigging, electoral roll flaws and ballot paper shortages.

The last polling stations are due to close today after two weeks of voting for the 111-seat parliament across the vast and remote country where previous elections have been tarnished by violence.

Prime minister Peter O’Neill (pictured) of the People’s National Congress has hailed this year’s poll as “calm and peaceful”, even as some voters complained that their names had vanished from the electoral roll.

Deportation & social justice major issues, says archbishop

KENDALL HUTT | Asia Pacific Report

RABAUL Archbishop Francesco Panfilo has said the deportation of New Zealand missionary Douglas Tennent remains an issue whichever government is in power in Papua New Guinea.

“I want to inform all [sitting] candidates and aspiring candidates for national elections that neither the Archdiocese of Rabaul nor the Catholic Bishops’ Conference will take this matter lightly, as it seems to imply that to work for justice is outside of a ‘religious worker’ status.”

Archbishop Panfilo’s call comes after Mr Tennent, who had been working as an administrator for the Archdiocese of Rabaul since June 2014, was deported on 12 June 2017, over an alleged breach of visa conditions.

Authorities claim Mr Tennent was deported due to “blatant abuse” of his ‘special exemption/religious worker visa’ after engaging in “sensitive landowner issues in East New Britain Province”.

Amelia Earhart – the aviation mystery that keeps on giving

PETER KRANZ

THE story of the disappearance of the bold aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan after taking off from Lae for a pioneering trans-Pacific flight in 1937, is an enduring mystery which has given rise to many conspiracy theories and creative explanations.

Was the pair captured by the Japanese, then preparing for war? Killed in a crash in the unknown reaches of the western Pacific? Disappeared in Rabaul’s Simpson Harbour? Abducted by aliens? Survived and assumed a new name under a witness protection programme in New Jersey?  All have been proposed.

Bougainville Copper reacts to community concerns on Panguna

KEITH JACKSON

THE chairman of Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL), Rob Burns, says the company will “intensify its community engagement” as part of preparations for a renewed Panguna mining project.

Mr Burns said BCL was putting in place the resources and personnel to step up its activities in Bougainville.

“We fully understand that building trust and widespread support among all relevant parties, as well as the people of Bougainville more broadly, is essential if the aim of renewing mining at Panguna is to be realised,” Mr Burns said.

“By working collaboratively with all groups, we have every confidence that outstanding issues can be resolved and the necessary benchmarks can be met for the project to advance.”

Australia ‘supported’ election but denies any role in stuff ups

KEITH JACKSON

THE Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea has issued a statement on Facebook denying that it has any role in the common roll and other controversies that have dogged the current PNG general election.

But the High Commission has conceded that, “at the request of successive PNG governments, [it] has worked with the PNG Electoral Commission to help support its delivery of elections.”

“Australia has no role in decisions on issues such as updating the electoral roll, in particular on adding or removing names, and on how many ballot papers will be delivered to particular places,” the statement said.

‘Bishop Condom’ retiring after magical career in PNG & the UK

MARC BETTS | Eastern Daily Press (UK)

BISHOP and magician, Reverend Peter Fox, known in Papua New Guinea as ‘Bishop Condom’, is retiring from his current role at Old Lakenham Church in the United Kingdom.

He might not be able to change water into wine, but one Norwich vicar certainly has plenty of tricks up his sleeves in his sideline as a member of the magicians’ group, the Magic Circle.

The 66-year old, who has been practicing magic since he was seven, previously held the position as Anglican Bishop of Port Moresby in PNG, making him the only bishop in the Magic Circle.

He said: “There are other clergymen but I am the only bishop, which means I’m the only member of the Magic Circle who’s actually entitled to wear a pointy hat and have a stick.”

The Sensitive Woman

ISO YAWI

Dedicated to Marlene Dee Gray Potoura

Her ink dropped along my path, in my quest for literature
Like droplets of molecular liquid falling as the rain
Each droplet creating a path
Forming puddles of story, poem and creativity

Every pond a different mixture, a different style,
Each droplet created a path
A highway through the forest it went
Meandering uphill and to the shore

I met people, old and young
The characters of her creativity
Each one showed me the way along
I followed the path till I met its owner

A news website that leads the way in Pacific journalism

KEITH JACKSON

DAVID Robie is an academic and a journalist, vastly knowledgeable in PNG and Pacific affairs, who – among other activities – edits an informative, well-designed and important website, Asia Pacific Report.

The website is a joint non-profit educational venture between the Pacific Media Centre at Auckland University of Technology and Multimedia Investments Ltd, an Auckland-based media investment company run by independent social justice journalist Selwyn Manning.

It’s a news and information source that you can find here and which I strongly commend to all readers.

Veteran doctor John Niblet dies: treated evilly by PNG government

SCOTT WAIDE | My Land, My Country

THE man who was a staunch campaigner for the improvement of the National Cancer Treatment Centre in Lae has died at the hospital he served in for more than 20 years.

Former Angau Hospital oncologist Dr John Niblet died of various complications at about 7pm on Tuesday night with his wife Andrea at his hospital bedside.

As many of his close friends and colleagues began grieving for his loss, there has been a lot of anger expressed over the treatment of the cancer specialist in the 12 months leading up to his death.

Election 2017. Is it now or never? Or the same old as before?

PHIL FITZPATRICK

FRANCIS Nii, Keith Jackson and others, me included, have recently written about the impact of social media on the 2017 election in Papua New Guinea.

We all agree that the impact has been unexpectedly significant and could portend a new and better style of accountable government.

As Francis has noted, the impact of social media is not just confined to its users. When someone on social media sees something of interest they tell their friends and the information spreads like wildfire by word of mouth.

Despatches from the election front – ‘despite chaos all goes well’

KEITH JACKSON

PAPUA New Guinea has long luxuriated in the bright light of the soubriquet, ‘Land of the Unexpected’, but this 2017 election has exceeded all of those unexpectations.

Here are some of the more recent developments that the unfortunates on the international election observer team (already once verballed into seemingly endorsing the poll) are duty bound to investigate when reaching their conclusion on whether this election has been free and fair and provided a just result.

Enga vote deferred amid new election disruptions (Peter Kinjap – Asia Pacific Report). Polling in Enga was deferred as the majority of candidates raised grievances and electoral roll problems again surfaced. All MPs except those loyal to Peter O’Neill’s government said election manager Anton Yamau “must not hold Enga people in ransom”.

Social media rises: what an impact on PNG’s national election

FRANCIS NII

SOCIAL media is high speed, handy, easily accessible and a powerful tool to disseminate information, promote ideas and products, communicate political platforms and run election campaigns.

In the current Papua New Guinean election, social media has played an unprecedented role in disseminating and circulating election issues; greater than any other media stream.

Papua New Guineans who have not realised the power of social media or simply have been ignorant of it until this election have woken up to it.

Writer and commentator Philip Fitzpatrick in a recent article in PNG Attitude pointed out the power of social media and the tremendous amount of writing produced not only by journalists but ordinary Papua New Guineans on election-related matters in social media.

Election 2017 marks a welcome shift in campaign methods

FRANCIS NII

AMONG the interesting features of this 2017 national election in Papua New Guinea has been a shift in campaign methodology.

Past campaigns centred on cash and cargo inducements ahead of policy platforms and clear indications of candidates’ intentions.

The practise of dishing out big cash and supplies of goods like alcohol and lamb flaps has declined significantly in this election.

Not many candidates threw around hard cash and cargo – and this is a positive development towards eradicating election-related corruption.

On the whole, candidates have gone out to the people and communicated their policies and intentions. They have travelled the length and breadth of their electorates, even walking to campaign and secure votes in defiance of the perilous milieus of the homeland.

That first common roll election of 1964: when everyone voted

ROGER WILSON

I LIKE to think my wife and I played a very small part in the 1964 elections in Papua New Guinea, at least in the Sepik District.

These were the first elections on a full adult franchise for a House of Assembly to replace the Legislative Council.  It would have 64 members - 10 official, 10 members of 'special electorates' and 44 members of open electorates. 

The special electorates were reserved for non-indigenous candidates and anyone could stand in the open electorates.  Voters were asked to cast two votes—one for the member to represent them in their open electorate and one to represent their larger special electorate. 

Why these PNG elections are taking us towards dictatorship

GARY JUFFA  | Asia Pacific Report | Edited

I SUSPECT these Papua New Guinea elections have been so deliberately set to fail, leaving much room for fraud and confusion and distracting from what is really going on – the establishment of a dictatorship.

Already prime minister Peter O’Neill has his own special police unit that flies around Papua New Guinea escorting him in his private airlines, he has a special army unit of 40 exclusively for his callout, he controls the media and public service and, it seems, the police and defence commands and perhaps the judiciary - the signs and red flags are blinking bright red now.

Yet many people do not see it. We are inching closer towards dictatorship and the ensuing bloodshed and violence that must come. But like lemmings and sheep, we are led to that reality with little resistance at all. Is this the Papua New Guinea we all believed in once upon a time?

Hang in there old mates – there's a dim light on the horizon

PHIL FITZPATRICK

ONE thing that the parlous state of Papua New Guinea is not currently short of is advice about how to fix everything.

A lot of this advice is of high quality. Moreover, Papua New Guinea has the people capable of acting on it.

Paul Flanagan and others, for instance, have suggested how the dire economic situation can be ameliorated, if not fixed. People like Mekere Morauta and Don Polye are more than capable of putting the appropriate measures into effect. Gary Juffa knows all about running things efficiently.

The debilitating curse of corruption is imminently solvable. People like Sam Koim are highly qualified to set up an independent commission against corruption and the Fraud Squad in the RPNGC, with sufficient resources, can make it work. And if they have trouble there is a vibrant social media ready to keep them on the straight and narrow.

PNG’s parliament could better meet the needs of a diverse people

CHRIS OVERLAND

PHIL Fitzpatrick's article on Papua New Guinean governance set me thinking. The sea air at Tumby Bay must be stimulating his neurons and, by some form of osmosis, mine as well.

As PNG moved inexorably towards independence in the early 1970s, many of us kiaps found ourselves being required to conduct political education as an integral part of our patrol work.

This mostly consisted of simply listening to what people thought about self-government and independence, which was rarely supported in the villages and hamlets.

PNG’s fiendish fiscal figures – budget deficit worst in its history

PAUL FLANAGAN | PNG Economics | Edited

PAPUA New Guinea’s updated GDP numbers provide new insights into the country’s economic history.

In particular, they show how bad the last four years have been.

PNG’s budget deficits over the last four years are the worst in its history. From 2012-16, deficits have totalled an extraordinary 23.8% of GDP (this is nearly three times higher than the next worst five year period).

These daunting deficit figures are the driver behind the explosion in public debt from 17.3% of GDP in 2011 to 35.5% in 2016.

Electoral corruption in PNG: caught between the law & a hard place

SAM KOIM & GRANT WALTON | DevPolicy News | Edited

PAPUA New Guinea is voting: since 24 June voters have lined up to choose MPs for 89 Open and 22 Provincial electorates.

If past elections are anything to go by, containing corruption will be a significant challenge. In the 2012 election there were widespread reports of bribery and fraud involving candidates, citizens and electoral officials.

Election observers also found that bribery, fraud and ‘money politics’ were spreading from highlands to coastal regions. This is deeply concerning as corruption distorts and undermines democracy.

Now is a good time for PNG to reconsider how it governs itself

PHIL FITZPATRICK

FOR a long time the developed countries of the West have foisted their ideas and systems onto developing countries, sometimes unthinkingly and at other times with predatory motives.

These include political, economic, educational and healthcare systems that have questionable application in their new environments.

We are currently seeing how one of these ‘one size fits all’ imposed systems is manifesting itself in the elections in Papua New Guinea.

We have also seen how other western systems, notably in education and health, don’t always fit comfortably into Papua New Guinea. Here I’m thinking about performance-based teaching and the debacle over the supply of drugs to hospitals.

Media Council tests impact of PNG Cybercrime Act on free speech

GERALDINE KALABAI | Pacific Media Watch

THE Media Council of Papua New Guinea is seeking legal opinion on the effects of the government’s Cybercrime Act on press freedom, freedom of expression and public access to state information.

”The council agreed that legal opinion should be sought on the impact that the August 2016 legislation will have on the ability of ordinary Papua New Guineans to express themselves through various communication platforms and whether the law hinders the ability of the PNG media to report without fear or favour,” the Council said in a statement.

Media Council president Alexander Rheeney (pictured) said the council supported some sections of the law that protected citizens.

However the Council was particularly concerned with sections on data espionage, defamatory publication, unlawful disclosure, spam, unlawful advertising, search powers and criminal liability of ICT service providers.

PNG’s problems are its own, not Australia’s or others

LINDSAY F BOND

ATTEMPTS to displace Papua New Guinea’s problems on people external to PNG – and there has been something of that recently - is to paddle shallow water and to peddle shallow trust.

The honour of ancestors is in learning the best information, working out the best strategies, adopting the best tactics and always with care and courage.

Any mess that has come about in some electorates has to be faced honestly by PNG voters and citizens, maybe through the courts and more certainly through PNG ballot boxes.

It seems that lawful process and court action might be somewhat slow but processes within the rule of law are a better choice, and indeed the best choice, to safeguard the rights of all Papua New Guineans.

PNG on verge of humiliation as embassies prepare to shut doors

KERENGA KUA MP

THE O'Neill government spent a fortune during the campaign period telling Papua New Guineans in a series of glossy advertisements about how it has put PNG on the world stage.

Hosting regional and global events has given us some recognition but at the cost of so many other high priority areas like health and education.

Sadly, it is that very world stage that will witness us shame ourselves as we close foreign mission after foreign mission. So far this year we have failed to pay United Nations fees, calling the failure an ‘administrative glitch’ to avoid further humiliation.

High Commission and embassy staff in Singapore, Beijing and Washington have had long periods without pay.

How might these Papua New Guinea elections be failed?

BRYAN KRAMER

WITH the recent controversies surrounding the 2017 general elections, many people are suggesting they should be declared failed.

So what does the law say about failing an election?

The laws governing our elections are provided under Organic Law on National and Local-Level Government Elections.

An organic law is a special type of law established by our constitution. The term organic comes from the fact is originated from our constitution that is unique to PNG and not adopted from other countries - most of our laws camed from Australia. For instance our criminal code was adopted from the Queensland code.

‘We’ve been robbed,’ say candidates contesting O'Neill's electorate

PETER S KINJAP

CANDIDATES in the Ialibu-Pangia electorate in the Southern Highlands where prime minister Peter O'Neill is the sitting member say preparations for polling today are inadequate and claim the election has been rorted.

The candidates - Jerry Kiwai, Nepoleon Rema, Tua Yasa, Stanley Liria, Justus Rapula, Leonard Pangepea and Dr Sam Kari (see picture) - unanimously agreed at a meeting in Ialibu that certain issues be addressed before polling starts and lodged a formal letter with election manager David Wakias.

Mr Liria said people are fed up with corruption, dictatorship, lying, stealing and treating people like dirt.

He said the people of Ialibu-Pangia are peaceful and hard-working and have the right to choose their new leader through fair, transparent and honest process.

He said he believed O'Neill is denying people this constitutional and democratic right.

Talking to Australians about PNG: they're interested

PHIL FITZPATRICK

ALONG with other commentators on PNG Attitude I often carry on about the ignorance of the general Australian public about Papua New Guinea

Over the years I have occasionally been asked to address various organisations and groups in Australia about my experiences in Papua New Guinea and I’ve always regarded them as an opportunity to help alleviate this ignorance, even if only in a small way.

I’m happy to do this but it is only since moving to the relatively remote west coast of South Australia that I’ve come to realise that all my previous efforts have largely been confined to preaching to the converted.

Pressure on Gamato as election problems intensify

JOHNNY BLADES | Radio New Zealand International | Extract

AS polling continues in Papua New Guinea's general election, the electoral commissioner is under more pressure to resign.

This followed a string of controversies early in the two-week polling schedule.

Wild inconsistencies and flaws in the electoral roll, scheduling changes and delayed polling were already a bad way to start.

The pressure piled on commissioner Patalias Gamato after the sudden decision to defer polling in the capital from Tuesday to Friday.

PNG election continues to lose credibility in day of chaos

JOHNNY BLADES | Radio New Zealand International | Extracts

Read Johnny Blades’ full report here

TUESDAY was one of those days when chaos prevailed in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby.

Locals will tell you such days are not unusual, but they prefer it to be outside of election time.

An announcement mid-morning by the Electoral Commission that polling for the national election in the National Capital District had been deferred to Friday set the tone.

It created confusion as thousands of voters had already begun turning up to polling stations when this announcement was made.

An important new book from a PNG renaissance man

KEITH JACKSON

I’ve written this Foreword to a new collection of Daniel Kumbon’s documentary stories which is to be published later this year. It’s a pioneering work for a male Papua New Guinean writers – and carries with it a great deal of power - KJ

AS A journalist, Daniel Kumbon has travelled more of our world than most people but, in addition to his notebook and pen, wherever he went he also carried with him his values as a man of Enga and a compassionate human being.

Daniel has dedicated his most recent book, ‘Alive in Mum’s Loving Arms’, “to all women past and present who died or live with regrets in their hearts due to circumstances beyond their control”.

In this collection of three powerful stories, Daniel, in his typically straightforward way, addresses the role of women in Papua New Guinea, a role that has come under immense pressure as a result of profound social change.

Election 2017, social media & the rise of the writers

PHIL FITZPATRICK

I DON’T think anyone would dispute the power of social media and the impact it is having on the 2017 elections.

Many of the 900,000 plus users of social media are talking non-stop about the election. They are commenting on the issues and the problems in unprecedented numbers and this is spreading into the informal media, the conversations of ordinary people all over Papua New Guinea.

It will be interesting, indeed crucial, to see what the ultimate effect will be.

Unlike the traditional media, newspapers, television and radio, social media is difficult to control and, at this stage of its development cannot be effectively bought off to favour any one party or politician. Not that attempts haven’t been made to do that.

Will new leaders re-introduce The Code & attack corruption

ELIZAH PALME | EMTV | Edited

CORRUPTION is rife in Papua New Guinea and the national and provincial governments are notorious for it, according to The Economist magazine running the risk of turning the state into a fully-fledged kleptocracy.

In 2002, the Morauta government initiated a fight against corruption, coming up with a public service code of business ethics and conduct, known as ‘The Code’.

But since then, at political and bureaucratic levels, corruption has become systematic and poses a threat to the well-being and development of PNG.

It's early days, but PNG election complaints abound

JOHNNY BLADES | Radio New Zealand International

WHILE polling in Papua New Guinea's election has only just begun, complaints are already surging in about problems.

Polling has been running in various districts of several provinces since Saturday, with other provinces to progressively begin over the next two weeks.

It was always expected there'd be voters turning up to polling booths to find out their names are no longer on the electoral roll.

Then there is the case of a woman who said she was turned away by polling officials after they had earlier allowed another person to vote under her name.

The Battle of Power Begins

FRANCIS NII

After a long and taxing campaign for 2017’s national elections in Papua New Guinea, voting has begun. This poem is dedicated to all aspiring politicians - FN

Driven by intimate dreams
Of fame, wealth or servanthood
The battle begins

Scaling the hostility of the terrain
Taming the inimical leeches
Inveigling souls of all sorts

Journey back to the highlands. It took a few tries but I got there

PHIL FITZPATRICK

A RECENT comment in PNG Attitude by Ed Brumby reminded me of the first time I went back to Papua New Guinea after an absence of over 20 years.

It was in the mid-1990s and I had been recruited as a camp manager by a petroleum exploration company operation near Fogamai’iu village on the Hegigio River in the Southern Highlands.

It didn’t sound like a very interesting job but it was a free ticket there and back and I was curious to see how things had changed.

Redlands in Queensland to host inaugural Melanesian Showcase

DR MARK SCHUBERT

THE Redlands Performing Arts Centre in Cleveland near Brisbane is bringing together a Melanesian Showcase in mid-September.

The first ever event will be hosted by the Quandamooka people of the Redlands region and is designed to be an important cultural exchange between Melanesia and coastal indigenous Australia.

My wife, Elaine Seeto (originally from Kavieng) is one of the organisers of the showcase, which is intended to grow into a regular and even larger festival of music and the arts.

Drug lords in PNG are acquiring more political influence

PHILLIP KAI MORRE

TOMORROW, 26 June, is International Anti-Narcotics Day where a message of hope is carried around the world to millions of victims of the narcotics epidemic.

Drug abuse is an international problem that destroys human health and lives. Drug cultivation, trafficking and consumption have grown to an extreme in Papua New Guinea. There are more people involved in this illegal industry than ever before.

In Papua New Guinea this includes local drug lords wielding greater political influence and even being elected to office.

End the scourge of so-called leaders who buy people’s votes

NAITH N LATI

IN traditional Papua New Guinean society, leadership was usually vested in a person based on trust, respect and community standing.

But today individuals are able to buy their way to be leaders of their people and do not represent the true voice and concerns of the people, whether community, district or province.

The contradiction between members of parliament who boast to have been voted in by the people and the purchase of individual votes is an inevitability voters too easily forget.

The reality happens after polling day when service delivery fails to match the promises and the bribes and we wait five years for it all to happen again.

The integration into campaigning of money to buy votes has been one of the most astonishing developments. Most MPs or intending candidates need to spend a million kina to contest a national election.

Challenges for voters in PNG’s 2017 general election

BAL KAMA | DevPolicy Blog

IN AN earlier article, ‘Day of judgment,’ I invited Papua New Guineans to critically evaluate the performance of prime minister Peter O’Neill’s government as they headed to the polls.

The article briefly pointed to the struggling economy, the weakening state institutions and the challenges to the rule of law in the country as deeply worrisome despite the assurances of progress offered by the government.

O’Neill’s government may have administered an admirably ambitious regime, but its controversies stand to overshadow its daring achievements.

Anticipation & excitement sweep PNG as voting begins

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH

PAPUA New Guinea’s 2017 national election begins today as voters take to the polling booths after a six-week campaign which began on 24 April.

“Anticipation” and “excitement” is the general feeling, says Papua New Guinean doctoral candidate Stephanie Sageo-Tupungu.

“Everyone is thinking about who they’re going to vote for and how they’re going to go about it,” she told 95bFM’s Southern Cross radio program.