Something needs to be done

LET me thank Southern Highlands leaders, particularly, Chief Joseph Kobol, Pastor Bernard Kaiku, Chief Youngtine Koroba, leaders of Karinz, Undiri and Kambiri and communities around Mendi town for initiating dialogue between the conflicting parties in moving towards peace and reconciliation and successful completion of GE22 in the province.
This demonstrates our enduring resolve in oneness in finding the best way forward for the province.
The curfew in Mendi now restricts movement and reinforces the rule of law and brings the confidence that work is in progress to bring long term peace and normalcy.
I thank the Government for deploying additional security personnel and our local police who rise up to the occasion.
Also, my deepest gratitude to the affected parties for adhering to the popular call for peace to prevail in our town and its surrounding communities.
It is a problem provoked by varying circumstances – not solely by a single entity – that includes the electoral commission, supporters of provincial candidates and of course, candidates but as leaders we must first take responsibility and then resort to our homegrown conflict resolution ways that best suit the prevailing situation. When the lead authority shows that he is indifferent to the problems of his own making the people lose faith in the authority vested in him.
Sadly, it is a painful experience which we were all one way another sucked into it.
But what’s now left is the going forward and if only the Electoral Commission could respond to the conflicting views according to laws and use cases of similar precedence as a guide, certainly we can’t go wrong.
I thank the PNGEC for seeking an extension for the return of writs to Aug 26 for the remaining provinces to complete counting.
Whilst counting for Chimbu was completed within this time frame, SHP and National Capital District are still lagging behind and that is a worrying concern.
Invoking of special circumstance provisions in laws governing elections was something the country never heard of until 2017 when it was first applied in SHP.
According to a Post Courier report of Sept 29, 2017, the provincial returning officer Steven Gore Kaupa applied Section 175 of the Organic Law on National Elections under “special circumstances” to use the primary count results to declare William Powi as governor.
That was only the beginning of what is to become a set precedence for “special circumstance” declarations.
Interestingly, “special circumstance” provisions were again invoked in this election for Markham and Kabwum in Morobe.
In another Post report, (Aug 9, 2022) “Chief Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai used his powers under special circumstance to declare Markham and Kabwum seats”.
The commissioner made it very clear that the decision to declare the leading candidates of the two electorates following the burning of ballot papers and destruction of the counting centres and property, was made after careful consideration with regard to curb future election related violence.
The case involving the Southern Highlands provincial seat is no different to Markham and Kabwum.
However, Markham and Kabwum didn’t go great distances to arrive at “special circumstance”, as matter of fact the decision was seemingly simple – off the cuff – as it was readily available.
It is imperative for all parties to note, particularly the EC, that the 11th Parliament was already convened and a government is already formed.
Lives were lost and properties worth millions were lost because the concerned authority and leaders toyed with the people’s emotions until they snapped.
Time is running out so let’s not try to right a wrong with another wrong.
The Southern Highlands case is no different to Markham and Kabwum and by default is demanding the same application of the “special circumstance” laws.
Invoke the necessary provisions and declare whoever is leading the primary count and whatever that follows can be dealt with accordingly on merit.

David Lepi