The next parliament must identify faults within the election process

WE have now entered the final segment of the 2017 general election – counting.
The journey this far has had its ups and downs. A quiet campaign period, then a rude awakening when polling started. Many of voting age who participated in this exercise in previous elections found their names missing on the electoral roll.
We, at this newspaper, do admit now to perpetrating a myth; the myth that this is a peaceful election. It certainly started as if it was going to be peaceful but it is not anymore.
It definitely was the calm before the storm. The risks were there looking back at the last election. The stakes were extremely high. It isn’t just a power thing anymore. Money and loads of it, is in the offing. Let us not mince words to try to justify our earlier misconception.
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.
The candidates themselves have been caught dishing out cash, or harbouring caches of weapons, or heading into violent clashes at the head of their violent bunch.
That is leadership all right 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, lack of polling officials, non-payment of allowances for polling officials which all point the accusing finger directly at the PNGEC.
Tempers flared at most polling stations in the country while some witnessed exchange of fists, burning of ballot papers and very rowdy crowds. Again, it was confusion, chaos and enraged voters not only in the nation’s capital but across the country.
After the reports from last week and the weekend’s turn of events, everyone will be left with no doubt as to the level of preparedness of the Electoral Commission for the conduct of this election.
Despite assurance from the commission boss that it was all systems go, the turn of events does not reflect well on his announcement a few weeks ago.
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 roll is not an issue, not a year before the next election but immediately after this election.
Massive voter education must begin in 2018 or early 2021 covering the by-laws, the leadership code, the rule of representative government and a leaders 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 system which allows three choices for the voter.
The voter is given an option to choose three candidates among the names on the ballot paper by placing the number “1” as the first preference, indicates the second preference with number “2” and the number “3” for the third candidate.
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 K1000 and a big tribe is eligible.
And, of course, the Election Commission office will have to be revamped. It is too late now to cry over spilt milk. The damage has been done. Time to move forward and to ensure this mess is never repeated.