End the scourge of so-called leaders who buy people’s votes
IN traditional Papua New Guinean society, leadership was usually vested in a person based on trust, respect and community standing.
But today individuals are able to buy their way to be leaders of their people and do not represent the true voice and concerns of the people, whether community, district or province.
The contradiction between members of parliament who boast to have been voted in by the people and the purchase of individual votes is an inevitability voters too easily forget.
The reality happens after polling day when service delivery fails to match the promises and the bribes and we wait five years for it all to happen again.
The integration into campaigning of money to buy votes has been one of the most astonishing developments. Most MPs or intending candidates need to spend a million kina to contest a national election.
A small proportion of the funds is committed to campaign logistics but mostly funds are deployed to buy votes. This gives the understanding that all MPs, one way or the other, buy their way into be the leadership.
It is a general understanding that, once a candidate is declared after the election and becomes an MP, he spends the first three or four years recovering the cost of the election campaign.
The last year or two are years for the sitting MPs to receive funding for projects that have no socio-economic value or no sustainable benefit to the people, but which get the money flowing.
Most of these projects deliver a last minute ground-breaking ceremony but never eventuate after the election.
Such projects have become the norm in PNG – a few days of high hopes and expectations as MPs dish out DSIP and PSIP funds to their supporters and cronies on projects that never eventuate.
Funds from bogus projects later becomes the cash base for the next election. About half of PNG’s MPs retain their seats and their cronies benefit rather than the population at large. It’s a money game and not a test of trust and confidence in leadership. The losers, and their supporters, lick their wounds.
We see shanty towns and districts with no power, clean water or sanitation services, but we still support the candidates in favour of money and create rowdy crowds so intending candidates feel they have support in the election.
Honest and transparent leadership at both local and national levels have vanished, just like the money vanishes after the election, and quality political leadership becomes rare in our society.
The people of PNG never seem to learn enough from each election. The remains of colonial roads, schools, hospitals and airstrips are the only indication that there was once effective leadership. We are reminded of great politicians of yesteryear like Sir Tei Abal, Sir Peter Lus, Sir Iambake Okuk, and other former leaders who were so patriotic about developing this nation.
These days, the involvement of powerful cronies with money has a lot of influence in the political system and we lack leaders who will bring services and tangible development to the people they represent.
Integrity and trust are two important aspects of leadership that should never be traded cheaply. Nowadays, the power is hung on to and the corrupt practises are hidden. There is never a project that delivers to expectations.
Despite various allegations of misconduct and corruption surrounding many MPS in recent years, few have been forced to step down from office. Instead they go through various court processes but still hang on to power.
Where is the sense of guilt among MPs for the neglect of people dying of curable diseases, atrocious roads, overcrowded classrooms, mothers and infants dying in childbirth, hospitals with no drugs, social or community disunity, and increasing lawlessness and violence?
On the other hand, MPs and their cronies enjoys the luxury perks and privileges at the expense of the poor and desperate voters. Flying business class, driving behind tinted windows in luxury vehicles under heavily armed escort, making people feel alienated and marginalised.
It is a shame to call these MPs our leaders when actually they are serving the interests of themselves and their cronies and building their own empires and buying respect through money and corrupt acts.
Now the 2017 election has arrived and the voters must judge what kind of leadership they require. The past has gone and now we must try to change the trend. We need honest and transparent leadership at every level; leaders who can deliver tangible services and infrastructure development to improve the lives of the people.
We need to avoid the so-called leaders who try to buy their votes through bribery and rigging the election process.
We must vote wisely and with our conscience to elect transparent leaders who will serve the people’s interest meaningfully and honestly.
