07-06-2012, 11:34 PM
Gee, that is sure a dismal take on a functioning PNG. Tribalism will be overcome and international investment, guidance and protection will win out. Elimination of the 'Limited Preferential Vote' will go a long way in disbanding the election corruption culture. The West cannot/will not lose PNG as a democratic neighbor in SE Asia.
O'Neill's reform words, platform of health, education and infrastructure should re-instate him as a legit PM. Following through with Western help is on the docket.
**********
One Response to “PNG and the Tyranny of Unicameral Majoritarianism”
This was my response to Mark Pepperday’s article:
An excellent piece. And one that I’ve been waiting for a while to come out of Australia. After reading that dribble in the Australian Financial Review earlier this week, this goes a long way to put some of my fundamental concerns to bed regarding the understanding some Australians have of PNG.
The recognition that one of the key issues with our political system, as identified in this piece is our unicameral system is on the right track. As we’ve seen over the past 10 months of what has been referred to as “PNG’s constitutional crisis”, indications are clear that we need to very carefully re-look at the basis of our political foundation.
It has long been discussed and debated on PNG’s burgeoning blogosphere that PNG needs constitutional reform to effectively address the illness that so many symptoms have indicated exists in PNG – and for a long time now.
PNG’s electoral system should also be reviewed. Currently Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) is being used in the 2012 National Election. Not only does this detract away from the need of the creation of strong political parties based on policy and not pork-barrel politics, it drives the divisions we often see fracture our domestic politics.
A better option would be MMP, currently used by NZ. This would help drive the creation of strong political parties, curb the extraordinary number of contesting candidates we see every five years, and also provide the political stability required to drive PNG in the right direction.
A combination of these two pieces of reform – both constitutional and electoral, will go a long long way to helping our political system finally find its feet and realize our true potential. Which, is not only present, but realistic too.
One of my key concerns about PNG is that we spend so much putting out fires, we watch the world go by. This is no longer good enough.
It is not past the stage where PNG can do this alone – we can do it, and to some degree, I think we need to do this alone off our own desire, with our own people and by our own thinking.
PNG will always count Australia a friend, and no doubt some type of Australian input should be sought. But the drive to reform, the delivery of it, and its implementation should belong to PNG, and us alone.
Tavurvur said this on July 6, 2012 at 5:36 AM | Reply
O'Neill's reform words, platform of health, education and infrastructure should re-instate him as a legit PM. Following through with Western help is on the docket.
**********
One Response to “PNG and the Tyranny of Unicameral Majoritarianism”
This was my response to Mark Pepperday’s article:
An excellent piece. And one that I’ve been waiting for a while to come out of Australia. After reading that dribble in the Australian Financial Review earlier this week, this goes a long way to put some of my fundamental concerns to bed regarding the understanding some Australians have of PNG.
The recognition that one of the key issues with our political system, as identified in this piece is our unicameral system is on the right track. As we’ve seen over the past 10 months of what has been referred to as “PNG’s constitutional crisis”, indications are clear that we need to very carefully re-look at the basis of our political foundation.
It has long been discussed and debated on PNG’s burgeoning blogosphere that PNG needs constitutional reform to effectively address the illness that so many symptoms have indicated exists in PNG – and for a long time now.
PNG’s electoral system should also be reviewed. Currently Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) is being used in the 2012 National Election. Not only does this detract away from the need of the creation of strong political parties based on policy and not pork-barrel politics, it drives the divisions we often see fracture our domestic politics.
A better option would be MMP, currently used by NZ. This would help drive the creation of strong political parties, curb the extraordinary number of contesting candidates we see every five years, and also provide the political stability required to drive PNG in the right direction.
A combination of these two pieces of reform – both constitutional and electoral, will go a long long way to helping our political system finally find its feet and realize our true potential. Which, is not only present, but realistic too.
One of my key concerns about PNG is that we spend so much putting out fires, we watch the world go by. This is no longer good enough.
It is not past the stage where PNG can do this alone – we can do it, and to some degree, I think we need to do this alone off our own desire, with our own people and by our own thinking.
PNG will always count Australia a friend, and no doubt some type of Australian input should be sought. But the drive to reform, the delivery of it, and its implementation should belong to PNG, and us alone.
Tavurvur said this on July 6, 2012 at 5:36 AM | Reply