WHP Students Association launches awareness programme

A students’ association from Western Highlands at the University of Papua New Guinea has launched an awareness programme aimed to promote fair campaigning among intending candidates.
The Tambul-Nebilyer Students Association launched the programme in Port Moresby.
Out of the Port Moresby-based intending candidates for the Tambul-Nebilyer seat who were invited, only two were present and discussed with the students about some important issues raised by the student body.
Jerry Kondop, a final-year law student and the association president, said intending candidates should not argue about their respective policies but promote peace and harmony.
“We as the next role models of our district want to see an election that should reach its finality without any disturbances,” he said.
“Especially in the Highlands, we used to face election-related issues of tribalism and regionalism, fights and violence.
“And we are urging our district’s intending candidates to help promote a violence-free election and make this as an eye-opener to other districts in the province and the Highlands region as well.
“We are also asking candidates to help and assist each other during the time of elections as a sign to the supporters that violence has no part in election the election. This will be seen as the true democratic election which will see us all come out winners at the end.”
The two intending candidates who were present, shared the same sentiments and told the students they would promote what the students were saying as they were the upcoming leaders.
They said the student’s awareness and the positive approach would impact the district greatly and that the students must continue with the good work.
According to the election history, Tambul-Nebilyer has had the lowest number of candidates contesting in the national elections so far and there was no election petition against any of the winning candidates to date.