Registry to refocus on candidates

(L) Booklet authors Solomon Puana and William Garena, pose with Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, November 20, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

IN its awareness lead up to the 2017 General Elections- the Registry of Political Parties and Candidates launch one of two booklets that will focuses attention on candidates

Registrar of Political Parties and Candidates, Dr Alphonse Gelu, has confessed that the registry ,in its endeavor to strengthen the existence of political parties as viable organizations, has spent less time looking at the issue of candidates.

“So this booklet we have produced on candidates will basically bridge that part that has been missing in terms of the work that registry is doing,” Dr Gelu said.

“Here you will find that some of the things that we have discussed in relation to the candidates would include things such as the integrity of candidates, and this is one of those biggest challenges for us in Papua New Guinea.”

“Many people in Papua New Guinea especially when it comes to elections who put their hands up when it comes to elections, but then there is now a growing concern amongst the general public about the quality of those candidates.”

He said the registry on the outset cannot curtail the rights of our citizens when it comes to their rights to contest elections.

“Because our constitution basically gives them that right, however, those intending to become candidates have to look at themselves whether they have those qualities and that is where that integrity comes in, so that is one of the issues that we have discussed in this booklet.”

“Thanks to of my young staff both of which are policy and research officers William Garena, Solomon Puana, who were assigned to write these two booklets.”

“We will distribute these booklets to all of our stakeholders around the country. One of the groups we are targeting here are the various higher learning institutions in Papua New Guinea.”

He said the booklets will be used as pre-election awareness which the registry plans to undertake just before and also after the 2017 polls.

“This will be one of those important materials that we will be using."

“One of the things that has compelled us to do this work is based on the survey we conducted early this year in certain parts of the country, provinces such as Central, Eastern Highlands, Madang, East Sepik, and Gulf were the provinces where some of our staff members went out to just to talk to our people about what political parties are.”

“The response we got from our people is that our people just don’t know what parties are and the importance they have.”

“The only hear about them during elections and after that they have to wait till the next election.”

“We decided that one of the ways to reduce that gap is coming up with materials, so today it is my utmost pleasure as the registrar of political parties to launch these two short booklets.”