Balancing act with general election

WE are about to enter the final segment of the General Election 2022 with counting in some parts of the country starting this week.
The journey this far had its ups and downs.
A quiet campaign period, then a rude wakening when polling started on Monday and many of voting age who participated in this exercise in previous elections found their names missing on the electoral roll.
The 30 campaign related deaths, burning of homes and attempted murder was the calm before the storm.
The stakes are high in this election.
We really do not have any accurate records of just how violent past elections might have been to compare this one against.
At what point on the numbers ladders of those dead do we shift from peaceful to violence – one, 10 – how many? We cannot because one killing is already too much violence.
There are deaths that have been reported to the security forces which we know about.
How many other deaths or fights or injuries sustained from election-related conflicts were there in the mountainous terrains that we do not know about?
How much damage in property or community peace and harmonious relationship has this elected severed?
There really is no measure of it.
Candidates themselves have been caught dishing out cash of harbouring caches of weapons of heading into violent clashes at the head of their violent bunch.
That is leadership alright but it belongs right there on the tribal battlefield, not on the floor of parliament.
Everyone had expected the election to start off with a bang – in the bad sense.
From throughout the country for the past few days, we have been receiving reports about missing names on the common roll, ballot papers arriving late, non-payment of allowances for polling officials which all point the accusing finger directly at the PNG Electoral Commission.
Tempers flared at most polling stations in the country with very rowdy crowd.
After the reports from this week and the turn of events, everyone will be left with doubts as to the level of preparedness of the PNG Electoral Commission for the conduct of this election.
The Electoral Commission’s preparedness is only as good as any Government of the day.
Money talks.
When counting is over and the results are in, it will not be the new line-up of members of parliament that draw our attention the most.
The next parliament has its job cut for it.
It must identify the faults that lie within the election process.
It must design ways to ensure the common role is not an issue, not a year before the next election but immediately after this election.
Massive voter education must begin in 2023 or early 2024 covering the by-laws, the leadership code, the rule of representative government and a leader’s role in parliament.
The voting population must understand the voting system.
Despite the awareness of the limited preferential voting system, many still do not understand that LPV (Limited Preferential Voting) system allows three choices for the voter.
Rules must be devised to ensure there is a comprehensive screening process for all who aspire to become leaders.
Everyone who wants to be something has to pass through some test, examination, screening or interview process.
It seems the entry into the highest office in the land has no such screening and that any man and his dog, who has K1,000 and a big tribe is eligible.
And, of course, the entire Election Commission office will have to be revamped.
It is too late now to cry over spilt milk.