INQUIRY INTO WHAT EXACTLY?

by JOHN BUGAT

The establishment of the Special Parliamentary Committee into General Election 2022 as announced by Renbo Paita is a fraud; as we all know very well. Alan Bird who we all think had some shred of decency and morals left has been appointed Chairman. I hope he rejects this. While I for one agree that this committee is needed, it should not be a parliamentary committee comprising politicians.

What the government should have done was to establish and independent committee comprising people who are totally independent and not related or linked to the legislature in any way. It should ask internationally reputable agencies, our donor friends like Australia and UK, India and even the US and New Zealand to assist through experts and personnel. There are also numerous well qualified PNGeans here who are more than qualified and suitable for membership on such a committee.
We witnessed massive criminal fraud in this election where criminals got elected as legislators so there is no question on the need for a review of all laws and enforcement agencies. The question rather is whether the government of the day will have the guts to drive these needed changes using the already established arms of government like the Legislative Council, Attorney General, State Prosecutor and Solicitor among others.
A committee comprising politicians looking into electoral laws, processes, procedures and systems is akin to asking a dog to look into how to keep a dog out of the chicken house. There is the distinct possibility that some or all of them did not get into parliament through strictly legal means. This is an opportunity then to identify ways and means of strengthening instead of closing and enhancing instead of mitigating any existing gaps and weaknesses while undermining and diluting any strengths left.
We all know the common roll needs to be updated. You failed to do it in the last government. We already know what went wrong with the campaign and polling – you breached the law by minimising the established times for each. We know what went wrong during counting and declarations – you allowed fraudulent papers to be counted, abused state security and electoral officials and appointed a characteristically flawed person as electoral commissioner. These are simple things that a good team of independent professionals will tell you. Yet you now chose to put dogs into the chicken house.
How do you call this good governance or honest, truthful and transparent government?
I have said before and I repeat it here. This government is focused on distraction and diversion while it goes about rewarding those who have contributed nothing to this country, namely the politicians in power. This country is well overdue for some drastic decisions and actions by the people. There is no reason to fear the police or army. There are many good officers among them who are sick and tired to the core of these criminals in suits with their pot bellies and high flying lifestyles. They will not do the right thing of their own free will. They have no guilt or shame or remorse. They operate according to a different set of morals and ethics.
How do we deal with people like that?

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