Revised law to do justice for parties

Caption:  Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, September 14, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

SPEAKING to the media last week during the Registry of Political Parties and Candidates Commission learning and development workshop, Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu stated that for too long parties were being used for their resources by candidates and MPs, that now the new revised law was set to do justice for party investments.

He pointed out that the first version submission to the National Executive Council in April 2013 to address party hoping were rejected, despite public support, from one that was extreme to one that he termed was still effective nonetheless.

“Certain provisions that were rejected in that submission included a provision that was to address party hoping, moving from party to party,” Dr Gelu said.

“In the first draft that we took to NEC in April 2013, in that particular version what was suggested was that if a member of parliament leaves a party to join another then that Member of Parliament automatically loses his or her seat in parliament and go back to the people to decide.”

“When I was on the Roger Hau’ofo talkback show, many callers were calling in and supporting the idea, but unfortunately NEC did not like the idea and that is the process which there was nothing more we could do as that is how bills get into parliament.”

Dr Gelu said that the registry had to come up with a replacement that was acceptable and still maintain to address the issue in three main areas.

“What we did was to come up with another suggestion to replace that, and it was that if you are a member of a party and you want to leave you cannot join another party,” he explained.

“Firstly if you want to leave, you become an independent for your entire life of the parliament term, because you just left a party why should you join another party.”

“Secondly it helps with issues like when a party helps a candidate and then they just leave the party, what is also required is that if you want to leave- you have to pay all the money that was given to help you campaign.”

“The third one is that when you leave and become independent, the funding that we give to that political party that you were originally a member of will keep going to that party.”

He added that it is justifiable that the funding continues to go to the party that brought the MP into parliament.

“To us we think that it is now quite strong despite the fact that we have mellowed it down, but we still think that it will be effective in addressing that particular situation,” Dr Gelu added



“It is now part of the revised law that is now before parliament.”