Maintain LPV voting system

I REFER to a private member’s bill in the recent Parliament sitting attempting to garner support to revert back to the former first-past-the-post voting system.
As a learned person living in a rural area of Papua New Guinea where election-related violence is rife particularly in the Highlands, I want the current limited preferential voting (LPV) system to remain as long as the democratic system of government is in existence in the country.
The only legislations to be changed should be subclauses to strengthen the main LPV law.
The national identification (NID) programme rollout, when fully implemented and electronic voting systems through tablets and/or mobile phones are used for voting in the near future, individuals can vote without being coerced.
The way forward for the future democratic system of government and voting is LVP.
With due respect to Kandep MP Don Polye, who spoke against the LPV system because he thinks the system has victimised him, is uncalled for. It is the voters’ attitude and no respect for the rule of law that caused a failed election.
Therefore, the way forward for future elections is LPV.
Other changes taking place such as NID programme and the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates and future amendments to Organic on National, Provincial and Local Level Government elections would complement each other.
This brainstorming concept should be taken note of by the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission and stakeholders in laying down the legal framework for democratic governance system of the country.

Democratic System Advocate