The voting population in Papua New Guinea is faced with the challenge of differentiating between political parties based on their policies.
This is why the country’s leading think-tank; the National Research Institute (NRI) is providing a platform for political parties to reveal their public policies in the lead up to the National Election.
Senior Deputy Director of the PNG NRI, Dr. David Ayres, said with over forty registered political parties with similar policies, it is difficult for the public to identify the policies of each of the parties.
The National Research Institute says Papua New Guinea has a fragmented party system where it is difficult for the public to identify the policies of each registered political parties.
NRI is, therefore, providing an opportunity for political parties to talk about their policies for the benefit of the voting population.
Last week, Registrar of Political Parties, Dr. Alphonse Gelu, said the Registry is working on establishing a system which will see political parties driven by their policies.
He said citizens should cast their votes while fully aware of the policies of the political parties to which their candidates belong.
Dr. Ayres also said candidates have been known to have local focus. There is, however, a need for candidates to also address national issues.
The NRI will be hosting forums for political parties to announce their party policies every Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next few weeks. Today’s forum saw one of the country’s oldest political parties, Pangu Pati, talked about their policies.
