www.postcourier.com.pg/20120618/mohome.htm
Candidates engage in gutter politics as count down begins
By NEVILLE TOGAREWA
POLITICAL campaigns by party leaders throughout the country picked up tempo last week and into the weekend and it will intensify this week with only five days remaining before Papua New Guinea’s 4.8 million voters go to the polls starting this Saturday, June 23.
Campaigns started slowly four weeks ago but heated up last week with some leaders branding others as thieves, accusing them of being destructive to the nation and not fit to be leaders, including holding the top post of Prime Minister.
It has become obvious that certain party leaders are engaging in smear campaigns or gutter politics to boost their election chances by publicly denouncing or crucifying others.
While it is early days yet to predict which political parties will emerge from the polls with the most number of winning candidates to take the lead in the horse trading to secure the Prime Minister’s post and form the next Government, there are indicates now as to possible political party marriages or mergers after the polls. Meanwhile, an eight-member Commonwealth election observer team arrived over the weekend and the observers are looking forward to helping strengthen “the democratic process in the country and that all involved will participate peacefully and constructively to ensure success (for the election)”.
The leaders’ latest attempts to entice the voters and being engaged in gutter politics and smear campaigns include the following:
* Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has been urging voters not to vote for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his People’s National Congress Party candidates, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and his PNG Party candidates and Speaker Jeffrey Nape because they have breached the constitution.
* Somare tells his National Alliance Party (NA) supporters in Kapore, West New Britain, that he will retain his East Sepik seat by more than 30, 000 votes and become the next Prime Minister.
* But Mr Namah tells another huge political rally at Navaho, WNB, at about the same time that Somare will come fourth or fifth and lose his seat and that the Vanimo Green River MP’s own PNG Party will win enough votes to make him the next Prime Minister.
* NA candidate Kerenge Kua calls on party leaders not to align themselves with Mr Namah and his PNG Party, accusing him of being destructive to the nation.
* NA deputy leader for New Guinea Islands Fidelis Semoso warmly welcomes Namah to Bogainville; Namah gives Semoso K500, 000 and commits another K5 million to him; the people of Bougainville makes Namah a warrior chief.
* Works and Transport Minister and loyal O’Neill supporter Francis Awesa fires a broadside at Treasurer and THE Party leader Don Polye and and Mr Namah, saying both leaders are not qualified to become Prime Minister.
* Leader of New Generation Party, Public Service Minister and Lae MP Bart Philemon calls on senior politicians Sir Michael, PPP leader and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan and former two-time Prime Minister Paias Wingti to graciously and honourably retire from politics and leave it to the new generation of leaders to run PNG.
* Leader of PNG Labour Party Peter Yama urge Highlands voters to choose his party candidates and promises them tangible change and development for PNG (See details in our election pages inside).
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