Struggling parties encouraged to amalgamate

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, December 7, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the road to the 2017 elections less than three years away- the Registry of Political Parties and candidates is encouraging smaller struggling parties to consider amalgamation in light of their situation leading up to the next elections.

Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu made the comments during the 4th Learning and Development Workshop hosting at the registry office.

“I have been discussing this for quiet a while, in fact when you talk of finances- the organic law allows for the smaller parties to decide to join up with another party,” Dr Gelu said.

“A provision in the law clearly spells out that for them to either maintain the same name or if they want to change their name, so two three or four of them are doing that.”

“We are not forcing them it is their right to have their own parties, but the reality is that small parties that have been contesting since the 2002 elections they haven’t won any seats.”

He pointed out that of the 45 parties in the country- it was only bigger parties that were that are looking at amalgamation, but the smaller ones are really protecting themselves.

“I think one of those reasons is that they have their own reasons like if they have their own party it will put them in a better position for example if the government decides to fund all of them then they will get the money,” Dr Gelu assumed.

“The current organic law and the proposed revised law will still maintain the possibility of amalgamation.”