By Solomon Puana
The Registry of Political Parties has continued on with its campaign in promoting and strengthening political parties during the major annual cultural events in the Highlands Region. The first awareness program was conducted in Mt Hagen during the Show from the 17th to 18th August and the second was conducted during the 63rd Annual Goroka Show from the 13th to 15th September just before PNG’s Independence Day (September 16) in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.
The awareness was basically to disseminate information about political parties in the country and at the same time encouraging people (both male and female) to at least know a political party and join a political party of their choices. The program is part of the awareness drive that the Registry has initiated through its Policy and Legal Division to strengthen political parties which is the mandate of the Registry of Political Parties under the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) and the PNG Constitution.
During the awareness program conducted at the two major annual cultural events, many people were very grateful and were keen to know more about political parties in the country. Most of the people had no idea or clue about political parties and their importance in a democracy, and with such awareness programs conducted, it was something new for them to know and learn.
Of the two awareness conducted in Mt Hagen and Goroka, we also enlisted a total of 202 people who had shown interest and want to become members of different political parties of their choices (refer to Tables 1 and 2). This has indicated that as the mandated body dealing with political parties and managing their affairs, more awareness programs on political parties need to be carried out especially in rural areas because that is where the majority of the illiterate population lives.
Table showing the number of people joining each political parties in the Hagen Show
Table showing the number of people joining each political parties in the Goroka Show
