By SHIRLYN BELDEN PAPUA New Guinea needs equal representation in Parliament to allow for development which will benefit communities, United Nations resident coordinator David McLachlan-Karr said. He said PNG was one of the Pacific Island countries tha

HAVING a pre-selection process before the election will help people interact with and elect the best leaders into parliament, an intending candidate says.
Lawyer Kelly Naru, who will contest the Morobe regional seat, said the country should limit the number of political parties.
He said such an approach would help promote freedom and democracy “as the people and not the political parties will have a greater say in their own affairs and the nation’s”.
Naru told supporters when announcing his intention to stand for the election last Saturday that he was advocating the pre-selection process in which a person with potential leadership qualities was screened and endorsed by the people, starting from his family, clan, community, district and province.
“It should not be the candidates imposing or telling them that they are attempting to stand for election, but it should be the people’s desire to see the best potential leader to stand for election starting from his own family and community,” he said.
“In my respectful view there are just too many political parties, there are too many leaders, the constitutional right to run for public office is often misused, abused and overused by misfits and undesirable characters who mislead the people simply because we lack a good pre-selection and screening process.
“Otherwise our young democracy and leadership that prevails in it will be pre-selected and determined by the power of money, guns, thuggery and other undesirable undue influences.
“The pre-selection process is a good option to select quality candidates,” he said.
Naru said the country was experiencing a constitutional crisis and its democracy, freedom and liberty were at a crossroad.
He urged people to pray and hope that “the government will continue to fear the people which will lead to liberty and prosperity and not the other way around as it can lead to tyranny”.