Caption: Dr Alphonse Gelu welcomes the Prime Minister to the
new office.
Caption: Prime Minister O’Neill cuts the cake to celebrate
the occasion.
By MATTHEW VARI
THE Registry of Political Parties and Candidates (RPPC) celebrated a triple achievement last week when it officially opened its new office, launched its corporate plan, and website all in the one event in Port Moresby.
Guests present at the event included Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil, Fisheries Minister Mao Zemming, and members of the diplomatic corps and representative from democratic institutions.
In his address to those present Registrar for the (RPPC) Dr Alphonse Gelu highlighted the registry’s achievements and difficulties faced to reach the their current standing.
He also highlighted the complexities of the registry’s role as a state office, and also the registry’s stand in the much debated revised Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC).
“As the head of the registry it was not easy for us to move into this building, funding was and is a problem for us, but that did not stop the registry from conducting its activities,” Dr Gelu said.
He said that the launching of the corporate plan and the website would complete the necessary needs that the registry will have in order to make it a full functioning office.
Gelu also thanked the national government and various stakeholders that have supported them including the Center for Democratic Institutions Canberra Australia, National Democratic Institute in the US, and International Federation for Electoral Systems (IFES) also from the US.
Responding to O’Neill-Dion Government’s initiative to gage agencies of the state to identify three key priority areas for all government agencies- the registry has complied with that by submitting its three priority activities since 2013, which are the revised OLIPPAC, learning and development plan, and awareness on the revised organic law to be undertaken pending the passing of the law.
The registrar also made know two critical issues faced by the organization being the revised OLIPPAC and its restructure.
“The first is the revised organic law that is now before Parliament, which the registry has made it its number one priority,” the registrar said.
“The revised organic law is well balanced with the new provisions to strengthen political parties- and our conscious is clear and there were no hidden motives when we put it together.”
“Also the restructure was rejected by the Department of Personnel Management through the Salaries Condition and Monitoring Committee, with the main reason for the restructure was that the registry was not complex, compared to other state agencies.”
“It is this office that advises the electoral commissioner to appoint the party that has won a majority of seats in parliament to form the government.”
He also pointed out that the accounts for the registry of political parties was still under the Department of Prime Minister’s and NEC at Morauta Haus.
In congratulating the registry on its achievements, the Prime Minister also responded to the registrar’s concerns.
“I will certainly look into his request about self-accounting, of course about the staffing- I am here to say that we will support those issues he raised because this is a very important office,” the PM said.
“Politics is a source of great passion for many Papua New Guineans both leaders and citizens- it is more so in our country then many parts of the world. We take our politics very seriously, and we take that endeavor to make sure that we play a role.”
“Someone needs to manage that process and in my view the establishment of this commission was one that is to ensure respect, integrity, and transparency in our political process in the country.”
The PM also pointed out that the new proposed changes were to ,maintain effective stability that would benefit the country as a whole, adding that they are to be embraced.
“I know that the Registrar and the Commission are putting forward to the nation some revisits to the OLIPPAC,” he said.
“I think some of them we have to embrace to give stability to government and to give stability to the democracy that we have in our country- I think it is important that we have sets of rules that we can all adhere to so that it can be able to manage the affairs each and everyone of the political parties that we have.”
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