Strategies To Improve Elections In PNG Should Promote Transparency And Integrity Throughout The Entirety Of The 5-Year Electoral Cycle

 Transparency International PNG (TIPNG) is hosting a two-day election seminar to present the findings of its observations during the 2022 National General Elections. The event is guided by the theme “Promoting Transparency for Election Integrity” and this theme will steer discussions over the two days.

Day one of the election seminar will feature TIPNG’s presentation of the key findings from its 2022 election observation report and day two will facilitate dialogue among stakeholder representatives with the objective of improving the integrity of Papua New Guinea’s election.

TIPNG has presented its 2022 Election Observation Report to the Government represented by the Chairman for the Special Parliamentary Committee on Elections, Honorable Allan Bird, and the Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai.

The findings from the report clearly indicate that the 2022 National General Election has continued the trend of deterioration in the quality of the conduct and management of elections in PNG.

Key issues TIPNG identified in the 2022 National General Elections were:

• Frequent instances of roll inaccuracy;
• Lack of action and enforcement against people committing election offenses,
• Non-compliance with Constitutional requirements
• Disturbances in the conduct of the ballot counting,
• Confusion on the declaration of seats;
• Widespread election-related violence

A lack of reliable and consistent communications to the public These electoral issues further undermine the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Therefore, restoring confidence in the electoral process, and ensuring transparency and integrity of elections, must be given the highest priority going forward if we are to improve the conduct of our next elections.

“If we are to achieve meaningful and impactful electoral reforms, there must be wide engagement as possible, to ensure the public is able to contribute to the process and restore public confidence in the electoral system. Reformers must also not take the easy way out by lowering standards in the National Constitution and Organic Laws as an excuse for poor electoral practices,” said TIPNG Chair, Peter Aitsi.

The independent observation report by TIPNG is the culmination of collaboration with individuals, communities, and organizations to build elections integrity through partnership. It reaffirms TIPNG’s commitment to working with partners to strengthen good governance.

In providing its independent election observation report, TIPNG aims to provide an evidentiary basis to the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC), Parliament, and the Government for interventions to promote transparency and integrity within our elections.

“In this undertaking, we are pleased to note that in addition to the PNGEC and the Inter-Department Electoral Committee (IDEC), there is now a Special Parliamentary Committee on the Conduct of the 2022 National General Election (NGE), who will receive the report and hopefully take on board recommendations, with a view to initiating reforms. It is essential that any reforms undertaken must be insulated from political self-interest,’’ said Mr. Aitsi.

Strategies to improve the conduct of National Elections in Papua New Guinea should include a focus on promoting transparency and integrity throughout the entirety of the 5-year electoral cycle

This is the fourth observation of elections that TIPNG has carried out. A team of 340 volunteer observers collected election-related information in 20 provinces across all four Regions, covering 578 polling places including in areas that posed safety risks.

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