Wenge: Poll system bad

By HELEN TARAWA
MOROBE Governor Luther Wenge says provincial governments should decide what the most suitable election system for the country is.
He told The National that the Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) system did not suit Papua New Guinea because much corruption was involved in the process.
“We need to bring back the first-past-the-post (system where) there is one nomination, one campaign, one vote, one counting, and one declaration,” he said.
“If the government wants the LPV system, let’s change the laws so the responsibility is given to the provinces.”
Wenge said the LPV system had created many problems.
“You have to campaign for one vote, two votes and three votes and it’s a difficult task,” he said.
“We (in PNG) don’t have money, the majority of the people don’t have money.
“We are simple people and our cash base is low.
“This system forces Papua New Guineans to dig deep into their pockets.
“And sometimes they steal and do all (bad) things which are not good for this country.”
Wenge said candidates paid a lot of money to ensure their scrutineers monitored the process.
“We have to pay money to make sure the first count is counted well,” he said.
Wenge also pointed out that the Government had failed to adequately address unemployment in the country.
He said there was no policy on creating employment for school leavers, which was resulting in a lot of social problems.
“The Government must address this unemployment problem.”