Report says 2017 election lacking ‘quality, integrity’

AN Australian National University (ANU) report has found that the quality and integrity of the 2017 elections compared to 2012 had deteriorated significantly, even in the locations that had historically delivered more credible elections.
A 258-person observation team, led by Nicole Haley from the ANU department of Pacific affairs, found among others serious irregularities, voter intimidation, personation, underage voting and multiple voting in the elections.
These findings were detailed in a 130-page report released to the media in Port Moresby on Thursday.
The 2017 election observation was the third such observation undertaken by ANU in PNG, and is the most comprehensive observation it had done to date anywhere in the region.
The report found that the 2017 general elections witnessed further deterioration in the overarching election environment, including in the preparation and execution of the elections.
“In many places democratic processes were hijacked, resulting in elections that were neither free, safe, fair nor inclusive, especially with respect to women, settlers and the elderly,” the report said.
“Electoral fraud was more brazen and more widespread than in either 2007 or 2012. Likewise, money politics was also more widespread and of a different order than in earlier elections, being focused on key officials rather than individual voters and was mediated by ‘strongmen’.”
The research also found that the electoral roll continued to be highly problematic, which prevented many people from voting.
The report stated that in 2017, all 35 observer teams noted serious defects with the electoral roll.
Based on the information provided by 3770 people surveyed during the campaign period, the researchers found that many people were not provided genuine opportunity to register on a non-discriminatory basis, nor were they provided reasonable opportunity to inspect the electoral roll prior to or during the election.