Parliamentary review needed

WE are seeing so many irregularities in this electoral process and already many are declaring this a failed election.
So many people have died in election-related events while damages and destruction brought on by candidates and supporters resemble scenes you’d find in an area in the aftermath of a major tribal fight or a natural disaster.
This is rampant everywhere in the upper Highlands. You’re probably thinking: “Wow, this is the region the prime minister comes from. Aren’t’ we suppose to show some maturity and display a sense of unity even if we don’t ‘see eye to eye as candidates?”
This isn’t what our founding fathers envisioned when they pursued self-government and, eventually, Independence all those years ago.
Sir Julius Chan or Dr John Momis could tell you a thing or two about that.
The younger generation of leaders have somewhat taken it upon themselves to believe that they can reframe PNG society to their liking, even over-stepping the norms of constitutional democracy.
The very essence of democracy and governance has been tampered with by all governments, including the last one, to the extent that Parliament debates and ministerial statements brought the worst out of ministers and leaders showing a pure lack of understanding of the mechanics of the government machinery, business and international politics and everything else.
It has been repeatedly witnessed over the years, ministers and Members struggling to create meaningful debate on the floor of Parliament out of ignorance and in many instances lack of exposure to governance and business and general PNG political dialogue.
Governments over the years have used the power of numbers to kill democracy on, of all places, the floor of parliament by bulldozing legislations without debate and many times, major issues have been given an early burial, never seeing the light of day.
A Parliamentary procedural review may need to be orchestrated to refine the system to not bypass debates on important issues which is one of the biggest oversight in the system we have adapted.

Francis Talu