JOHN K KAMASUA
THE hype is back! It’s an event that happens every five years to galvanise communities and regions in Papua New Guinea.
And also polarise them - along political party lines, traditional tribal lines or just plain convenience lines.
More than 4,000 candidates have filled Form 29 to indicate their intention to contest either the open or provincial seats.
However, with the likely increase of the nomination fees from K1,000 to K10,000, the actual numbers are likely to be drastically reduced.
This proposal, among others that have been cooked up, has been deemed by many people to be unconstitutional.
But unlike Halley’s Comet, which we may see flashing across the cosmos only once in a lifetime, national elections are a regular feature of an average person’s life.
Papua New Guineans have demonstrated in their voting behaviour that they have learned a few things. The game is definitely going up a couple of notches.
Religion has been dragged into the coming elections again. Churches have asked congregations to pray and vote for good leaders, while candidates are asking voters to attend church and support church work.
Associations bearing all manner of names have sprung up. Cash and cheque presentations by MPs have intensified under the banner of community development projects and sports sponsorship. For some electorates, this will be the first time their MP has done something. Gullible or cunning recipients receive these last minute handouts with glee.
With the election looming, political parties are waging an all-out bidding war to outdo their opponents.
The ruling party in the coalition, People’s National Congress, will field strong candidates against equally strong and vocal candidates from other parties. There will be strong challenges from the People’s Progress Party, Pangu, Triumph Heritage and the National Party, whose leaders are all seen as strong contenders.
The contract for ballot papers has been controversially awarded to a printing company in Indonesia. There appeared to be some misunderstanding between the Electoral Commission and the Government Printer on the cost of printing the papers in Port Moresby.
Critics claim that the security of the ballots will be compromised, increasing the chances of manipulation and foul play. However, the Electoral Commissioner maintains the decision was taken as a cost-saving measure. Some people are not convinced.
Amidst all the drama, the Registrar of Political Parties has confirmed that party officials are being paid lucrative allowances of around K4,000 a month, maybe more.
People on the ground care less about the budget, how the economy is doing or who is in government.
We have seen over the years, even during times of plenty, that few tangible benefits trickle down to people in a sustainable way.
There have always been “filtering systems” that ensure that very little money makes it way to the masses.
The District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP), although well-intentioned perhaps, have become extra resources for incumbent MPs to use to hang onto power.
In many cases, the MPs and their cronies have managed to control a mammoth share of this money before even few earmarked projects get funded.
The abuse, misuse and misapplication of DSIPs and PSIPs have been an important source of the corruption problem in PNG. It is also one of the main factors responsible for disempowering committed public servants from performing their duties – a sure recipe for the lack of development in the provinces.
So with the June election we can go back to the drawing board.
Elections in PNG always provide the perfect conditions for a feeding frenzy: candidates capitalise on the gullibility and impoverished conditions of the common people to entice votes; while voters feed on desperate candidates.
But once candidates are voted in, get their hands on public resources and attach themselves to power in Waigani, they tend to forget their election platforms.
It has become a vicious cycle and it is time that educated voters tried to make a difference by breaking this trend through generating awareness and through the ballot.