numbers
p. 39 · Read in the full issue
The numbers
“It was going to be like Laki-Moni (Lucky Money),” said Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Commissioner, Mr Luke Lucas.
Lucky Money, also known as Win-Moni, is Papua New Guinea’s scratch ticket lottery and Mr Lucas was referring to fears that there could have been as many as 3000 candidates contesting the elections.
He claimed that his suggestion that party lead ers’ photographs appear on the ballot papers alongside their candidates’ photos helped keep the total num ber of candidates down to 1493.
Even so, that is 368 more than in 1982. It will still be like Laki-Moni in lots of seats particularly in the Highlands where the average number of candidates per seat is 17.39.
In the Chimbu Province where there are six seats to be contested there are 164 candidates, an average of more than 27. In the electo rate of Kerowagi where 45 candidates have nominated there are 23,831 voters on the roll.
Therefore it is theoretical ly possible for someone to win the seat with 531 votes.
That’s 2.228%. Going on past experience the winner could do it with 1000 votes still, that would be only 4.2% of the popular vote.
“I don’t think this trend is very healthy at all,” said Mr
Tony Siaguru, leader of the League for National Ad vancement, LNA. Mr Siaguru, the sitting Member for Moresby North-East, tried to do something about it “One of the last debates in the outgoing Parliament was to look at doing away with the first-past-the-post system and reintroducing a preferential system.
“What I was arguing for in Parliament was the Optional Preferential system which would allow people to nominate their second, third and fourth choices if they wished. That I believe would be the fairest one, it com bines the best of both worlds.
In 1982 we had one Member who was elected by 7% of the people in his
electorate which means 93% of the people don’t identify with him and didn’t support him!”
But the debate did not result in any change to the law and so it is a single cross in the square next to the photo of the chosen candi date that will be a valid vote this year.
The Electoral Commis sioner, Mr Lucas, is confi dent that the inclusion of party leaders’ photos on the ballot papers will help strengthen the party system.
But others, Mr Siaguru amongst them, believe the huge number of Indepen dents almost 1000 will mean an increased number of Independants will be elected. Only seven of the sitting members are going to the elections as Indepen dants.