MARAUDING supporters went on the rampage with bush knives, candidates were imprisoned and kidnapped and police stations were burned during the six-week vote and count in elections in Papua New Guinea (PNG). On August 2nd the incumbent People’s National Congress party finally declared victory and Peter O’Neill was returned as prime minister for a second five-year term. But the violence augurs ill for the country’s stability.
The chaotic campaign reflected enduring problems in the political system. Most politics in PNG is local: the population of 7.6m people speak nearly 850 languages. Fully 44 parties took part and many candidates ran as independents. All three members of the Election Advisory Committee, a government body supposed to monitor election proceedings, resigned in early July because, they said, they had not been given enough information to do their work. One MP who was standing for the ruling party was imprisoned for inciting...Continue reading
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