We need to vote for leaders capable of building PNG, not promoting corruption

Commentary by PETER S. KINJAP

We need to vote for candidates capable of building PNG, not promoting
corruption.

A MAJOR form of corruption in Papua New Guinea is the abuse or misuse
of public funds for personal gain.
PNG will minimise corruption only when we have political leaders andofficials in key positions who do not misdirect public money – the people’s money - for their own benefit.
The decision to say no to such abuse can be quite tough. It needs heart, character, vision and a passion to stand tall amongst other lesser people. Leaders who have these values live their beliefs and
they can make a difference.
The great South African leader Nelson Mandela physically suffered to serve his people. Mahatma Gandhi made decisions of public interest that disadvantaged his personal life. Both men fought against heavy odds to serve their people.
PNG's corruption syndrome is destroying this beautiful country. To save PNG from complete destruction, we need leaders who have heart, character, vision and passion.
In modern PNG politics, Gary Juffa's call for the people to "take back
PNG" and the actions that back up this call show that he has what it
takes to fight corruption and stand against the current wave of dishonesty that is rooted in our government system.
There are too few PNG leaders who fall into this category. National leadership should not be about money, how much a politician has and how it will be spent in the elections.
It should not be about where a politician comes from, what family,
what tribe, what background. These are not the criteria by which we should measure our politicians.
Let’s instead consider heart, character, vision and a passion to serve
and build a desirable PNG. If we agree that PNG needs change, we need to look outside the box. We
need to change the approach of money-oriented election campaigns. And if we cannot find an individual amongst the list of candidates for 2017, then we must muster the strength to keep hunting.