PNG after the elections: politics

In this podcast, you'll hear a panel discussion on the 2017 Papua New Guinea National Elections. The elections, held in June and July, copped both criticism and praise — but mostly criticism. Ballot box mysteries, corruption allegations, electoral roll issues, unpaid striking polling workers and localised violence dominated news headlines.

Despite all this, and despite the many legal challenges to results yet to be resolved, huge numbers of voters turned out to exercise their democratic right, and a government has formed under returning Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Now that the excitement of the vote itself has passed, what are the implications for PNG’s political landscape? And what are the lessons learned to improve the running of future elections?

A panel of experts (Nicole Haley, Bell School; Terence Wood, Development Policy Centre; Ronald May, College of Asia and the Pacific; Bal Kama, ANU College of Law) discussed how the vote went, the winners and losers, and the longer-run political challenges that the government may face in its term.

Nicole Haley provided an overview of the insights from electoral observers, while Terence Wood discussed election results and issues. Ron May analysed how the parties fared, who won and who lost, and why. Bal Kama explored the legal issues facing the new government and the many appeals against declared outcomes. The panel was chaired by Stephen Howes.

This forum was the second in a series on PNG after the 2017 elections, hosted by the Development Policy Centre.

Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.

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