Election process review on card

DEPUTY Prime Minister Charles Abel says the general election process is too long and costly resulting in controversial results.
He said the election system should be reviewed.
Abel said the lengthy process allowed for undue influence to determine unpopular results which did not uphold the democratic process.
“The current election system is supposed to uphold the democratic process to elect leaders on time to form a new government to deliver services,” he said.
“The slow and expensive process is working against that. It is affecting the whole of the governance process.”
Abel was speaking during the launching of Transparency International’s 2017 election observatory report in Port Moresby last week.
“We must improve that process and discuss ways to accelerate the process,” he said.
“If we have to look at scrutinising candidate applications to contest elections, we have do so. Right now there are too many candidates and it is slowing down the process of voting, and it is causing too many unnecessary interferences during the counting process.
He said going back to the first-past-the-post system would be an option, or electronic counting.
“Look at how many candidates will be contesting, their qualifications and merit to contest. Now it is open and every one is contesting and it is very distracting,” Abel said.
“Let’s look at the National Identification Project and integrate it into the updating of the common roll and census.”