Chimbu’s example sadly ignored

 WE stand proven on one observation we made earlier when local level government elections were under way. 

We said the election preparations that had gone on in Chimbu had excellent result for the Kundiawa Gembogl by-election but tragically that homegrown system had been abandoned.

Our observations were of course not our own. They were the decided opinions of an AusAID funded team that spent much of the time directing the awareness operations in Chimbu.

The team reported that the ID system in Chimbu was the best in identifying real persons in family clusters right across Chimbu and that had reduced the proliferation of ghost names on the common roll.

The team reported that separate polling booths for women operated quite successfully during the national by-election. It said the electronic counting system trialed in the by-election also ran smoothly.

In all, the operation was cheap, smooth and the by-election for Kundiawa Gembogl hailed as one that was peaceful, free and fair.

Now we are faced with incontrovertible evidence once again that the Chimbu experience ought to have been adopted for use, at the very least, in the Highlands.

Only Chimbu out of the entire Highlands region had not one LLG election failed by the Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen.

The 19 failed elections are throughout Eastern Highlands, Enga, Hela, Jiwaka, Southern Highlands, and Western Highlands.

Why this homegrown and tested and tried way of running elections in the country was not adopted for national application during the 2012 general elections and again during the LLG elections this year is a question that only the PNG Electoral Commission can answer. 

Trawen yesterday stood defiantly by his decision to fail elections in the 19 LLGs. That is commendable and if he is correct we also support his stance as did the PNG Chapter of Transparency International, but he did not elaborate on what grounds or on whose information he made his decision.

In many affected LLGs we have differing opinions reaching us depending, we suspect, on who won and who lost. There is no unanimous opinion supporting the failing of elections.

In one province, the Western Highlands, we even have Trawen’s own election manager and election team stoutly against the decision to fail elections. In this particular case, on whose advice and recommendation did  Trawen base his decision to fail the elections in Hagen Urban, Hagen Rural, Mul, Kotna, Muglamp LLGs.

Western Highlands election manager Philip Telape told this newspaper he did not advise Trawen. Telape and his election steering committee said elections were conducted fairly, with isolated minor disturbances but that all boxes had been returned for counting. Counting had started and many seats were declared.

Directly as a result of the failing of the elections, protests by Mt Hagen town’s surrounding tribesmen from the Moge, Jiga, Andakelka, Yamuga, Kenteka, Keme, Kugulga, Elti and Pinambe paralysed the town. Traffic flow on the Highlands Highwat running through the city was stopped, all businesses and government buildings were shut down as were schools and banks and the Kagamuga Airport was closed to all air traffic.

Yesterday Chief Secretary to Government Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc added his support to the Western Highlands elections steering committee.

Sir Manasupe met with the elections steering committee, the provincial administrator of Western Highlands, and Telape. Upon examination of all the facts presented before him, Sir Manasupe formed the view that there appeared no ground for Trawen to fail the elections in Western Highlands province.

Sir Manasupe said that by Aug 15, when the Electoral Commissioner announced his decision, 27 ward members of a possible 40 in the Hagen Rural LLG had been declared elected. Counting was in progress for the rest.

“I have this afternoon conveyed the position of the  Government to the Electoral Commissioner, and asked him to reconsider his decision,” Sir Manasupe said in a media statement.

The commissioner is under no obligations, of course, to obey as it is his duty alone to declare or fail elections but he should let the nation know what were the specific instances complained of in each of the 19 LLGs he failed and from whom he collected the evidence.