Government to review removed provisions

National

THE Government will look into reviewing 10 provisions removed under the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPC) 11 years ago.
According to the Political Parties Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu, the 10 provisions removed by a Supreme Court decision in 2010 had been tabled through a policy review submitted to the Government caucus last week.
Dr Gelu explained that the provisions were important because they promoted political stability in the country’s Government system.
He said these restrictive provisions spelt out requirements such as, no MP should vote out a prime minister in a vote of no confidence.
Dr Gelu stated that in 2014, the Registry of Political Parties managed to find ways to fill up the gaps left by the 10 removed provisions that saw the approval of the revised Political Parties and Candidates the same year, but, unfortunately, Parliament didn’t pass the law before the 2017 general elections.
Dr Gelu said last year, the revised Political Parties and Candidates went back to the National Executive Council and was approved, and had been put on notice paper and was a property of parliament.
“I travelled to Port Moresby last Tuesday to advise the Government caucus on the revised policy on OLIPAC and it is now before the leaders to decide whether to pass the law or not,” he said.
“The process has taken several years and I hope that the leaders can endorse it before the next national general election which is expected to take place next year.”