DELAYED ELECTIONS FOR POLITICAL CONVENIENCE

It wasn't a surprise that the Issue of Writs for the 2019 Local Level Government was stayed by the Supreme Court. This now means the Issue of Writs will be will be delayed for an indefinite period.

I concur with the reasons stated by the East Sepik Provincial Government on inadequate funding for outstanding councillor allowances. The LLG Elections has been defered since 2018 on reasons of inadequate funding and sitting councillors and Presidents' terms were extended for another six months or so till April 2019.

Do you think most LLG Presidents will retain their seats in the 2019 LLG Elections? The simple answer is NO.

Why? Most councillors, LLG Presidents and Mayors are not happy with the lobbying system. Many of them do not reside in their villages among their people. For example many Morobe PEC members have been seen in and around Lae City for the past five years or more. Most of their commitments have not been fullfilled and their return in 2019 depends entirely on that.

If they go back to contest the ward councilor elections, obviously they wont make it.

So whose interest are they serving by taking a court injunction to stop the Issue of Writs? It is their democratic rights as political leaders and citizens to take legal actions against what they feel is unconstiutional. However, delaying the elections wont do any better for our rural folks back home.

Both the National Government and the PNG Electoral Commission are to be jointly blamed for postponing the LLG Elections. It is unconstitutional for a politician to hold office after his/her time expires and for elections conducted outside of the gazetted election dates is a diagrace for those incharge of conducting the elections.

The 2018 APEC Meeting in Port Moresby was used as an excuse for defering the LLG Elections. The National Government obviously did 'paper funding' allocations for the elections with non of the required funding being disbursed to the PNGEC.

The Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs was burdened with the task of sorting out outstanding allowances for councillors. Most councillors and LLG Presidents contesting this election will have to dig deep to win the council seat and lobby for the LLG seat.

While the Supreme Court decision now puts an indefinite delay to the LLG Elections, its high time that the PNGEC and National Government act swiftly to ensure our democratic rights to elections are executed fairly and peacefully.

Picture courtesy of https://garamut.wordpress.com