Image: A table tag of one the parties that atteneded the forum
Newly registered political parties today announced their priorities.
Registrar of Political Parties, Dr. Alphonse Gelu, told members of the new parties that they faced a bigger challenge, compared to established political parties.
With the issue of writs for the 2017 National Elections only a month away, the newly registered political parties have a limited timeframe to market their policies to the people of Papua New Guinea.
Newly registered political parties announced their respective policy priorities today at a forum organised by the Registry of Political Parties in Port Moresby.
The purpose of the forum was to introduce the newly-registered political parties to the people of Papua New Guinea.
Registrar, Dr. Alphonse Gelu, said the Registry of Political Parties is working on establishing a system which will see political parties driven by their policies, making them more visible to the people of PNG.
“It will be the policies of the political parties which would be the main consideration or factor which the people would use to cast their preferences during the polling. We need to eradicate the current methods of voting which have contributed to making the conduct of elections messy and undemocratic. From the Registry’s point of view, political parties in PNG should not have any excuse of not putting together sound policies that they would campaign on during the campaign period,” Dr. Gelu said.
The 11 newly registered political parties include, Wantok in Godly Services Party, PNG Youths Party, Nations Interest Party, Model Nation Party, PNG First Party, Trust PNG Party, Paradise Kingdom Party, PNG Human Rights Party, Grassroots United Front Party, PNG One Nation Party, and PNG Socialist Party.
Nine of the eleven Political Parties were present today and announced four of their top policies, which they will use during campaigns in the 2017 National Election.
While many of the parties shared similar priorities concerning youth and women, education and health, agriculture, law & order and infrastructure; there were a few that stood out.
Biatus Bita of the Trust PNG Party, said his party is embarking on giving tax holidays to all indigenous businesses because small businesses are struggling. Also, Joseph Totabu of the PNG Human Rights Party said his party plans to design and build public housing and; subsidise and build unemployment skills.
Dr. Gelu emphasised that the focus of the Registry is to have political parties that are policy-driven. He also reminded Political parties to hold their party conventions.
