Registry initiates Chronicle Project

For decades, much of Papua New Guinea’s history has been viewed and documented through an international lens. But as the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary of Constitutional Independence, a groundbreaking new initiative is set to change that narrative by telling PNG’s story from the inside out. The Chronicle of Political Party Project, an initiative spearheaded by the Registry of Political Parties, is officially documenting the history of political parties in Papua New Guinea from 1960 to 2025.
Brainchild of the Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Pok, the project aims to record the crucial emergence of political parties in the 1960s and their direct involvement in PNG’s journey to Independence in 1975.With the nation reaching its 50-year milestone, the initiative serves as a vital tool for national identity, ensuring that younger generations understand the foundation laid by the country’s early leaders. “We have a political culture where political parties come up and die out, even after the founder dies, the party dies with it. Even a party that formed the government, faces the same fate. Parties like People’s Democratic Party (PDM) have been strong in the 1997 election and now all the good leadership, the policies have not been recorded. Histories of these once vibrant political parties have not been recorded, even the traits of these dynamic political leaders, that’s why I have come up with this project.” Mr. Pok said. The project – which concludes in both a comprehensively written book and documentary series stands as the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission’s (IPPCC) formal tribute to the country, its people, the government and its founding fathers.
The monograph heavily focuses on how early leaders realized they needed to organize themselves into formal political parties to effectively complete for the right to govern. By profiling major parties, the project fills a critical, long-standing gap in PNG’s documented history. Parties profiled in the project include the ones who have dominated the landscape over the last five decades, such as Pangu Pati, United Party, National Party, People’s Progress Party (PPP). Melanesian Alliance Party, People’s National Congress (PNC) and National Alliance. While time limits prevented every single party from being profiled in this initial launch, the Registry has confirmed that this is an ongoing effort that will eventually include all parties over time.
This chronicle is a look back from the journey of political parties charted through but also a roadmap for the future. By looking at the successes and failures of these parties in public policy, structural reforms, resources management and service delivery, the project aims to provide invaluable lessons for the next 50 years of PNG’s development

FEMALE STAFF PARTICIPATE IN MARIANVILLE CELEBRATIONS

Five female staff members from the Registry of Political Parties and Candidates Commission recently joined fellow alumnae to celebrate the Marianville Secondary School’s historic diamond jubilee.The 60th-anniversary celebration brought together women from all walks of life, spanning from the pioneering class of 1966 to current students. Together, they gathered to honor and appreciate the school’s faith-based principles and dedicated nurturing, which have long empowered young women to become well-educated, principled leaders.
Taking advantage of this unique gathering, the five Registry staff members, conducted an awareness session on a major milestone, the Registry’s new provision requiring political parties to endorse a 10% quota for female candidates under their party banners.The initiative received high praise from prominent attendees. Ms. Angelyn Paranda, Acting Director of the Legal Training Institute (LTI), commended the Registry’s efforts, noting that Papua New Guinea has lacked laws specifically creating space for women in politics since 1975. “This is the first law of its kind, and it is historic in itself,” she said. Echoing this sentiment, Ms. Anna Kavana Bais, former Secretary for Community Development, a 1985 Marianville alumna, and a People’s Party-endorsed candidate for Moresby North-Wester in the 2022 National Election, expressed great optimism. She noted that the revised Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates brings genuine hope for future female leaders.
Many of the Marianville alumnae in attendance now hold prominent leadership roles or have contested past national elections. Fully understanding the steep challenges women face in the political arena, they widely applauded the Registry for creating a concrete pathway for women to enter politics. Notable attendees included, Acting Electoral Commissioner, Margaret Vagi, 2022 Moresby North-East candidate under United Labour Party, Dianne Unagi and Principal Legal Officer for Ela Motors, Ms. Erica Gwale.
The five participating staff members expressed their gratitude to the Registrar and the IPPCC for providing the support necessary to attend the anniversary. Following their successful awareness outreach at the event, the team has officially submitted a list of recommendations to the management to groom women leaders in the country.

LESSONS FROM DEI OPEN

The Registry of Political Parties conducted a thorough field observation during the recent Dei Open By-election in the Western Highlands province. The Registry prioritized these observations to assess, justify, and strengthen the institutional participation of political parties. The Dei Open by-election was a critical, standalone case study for election observers and political stakeholders. With the 2027 National General Election approaching, the findings from Dei provide essential indicators of the political landscape, party awareness, and systemic challenges within the Highlands region.
While the by-election period was notably peaceful and free of major conflict, severe structural issues were observed at the polling booths. Security personnel and observers noted the widespread practice of katim vote, a way of block voting where groups of individuals override individual choice to secure first-preference votes for a community endorsed candidate.The IPPCC observers have noted that this practice directly undermines the constitutional right to a secret ballot. These findings align with recent warnings from Acting Electoral Commissioner, Margaret Vagi, who emphasized during a 2026 workshop that block voting compromises democratic integrity and weakens the core of a representative democracy. To protect individual voter agreement, future electoral management must strictly enforce constitutional voting protocols.
Thin Party Participation and the Need for OLIPPACC Awareness
A primary concern for the Registry was the remarkably low level of institutional party engagement. Out of 25 contesting candidates, only one was formally endorsed by a registered political party, Jeremiah Pim, running under the People First Party banner. The remaining 24 candidates contested as independents. Field interviews revealed that a vast majority of voters lacked a basic understanding of the role, mandate, and importance of political parties within PNG’s democratic system. Voting behavior remains heavily dictated by tribal loyalties, candidate personalities, and family legacies rather than party policies or organizational platforms. For the Registry, this highlights an urgent need for strong, nationwide ward-level awareness campaigns to educate electors on how political parties stabilize and drive parliamentary democracy.
Marginalization of Women in the Electoral Process
The observation team reported a blunt shortfall in inclusive participation, with zero female candidates contesting the by-election, deeply male-dominated system continue to lower women to minor roles, effectively shutting them out of active political engagement. Interviews with local women indicated that aggressive atmospheres at polling venues and cultural barriers prevent them from exercising their democratic rights. Many expressed fear or indifference, noting that the dominance of male voters makes it extremely difficult for women to have a meaningful voice at the ballot box.
Recommendations for the 2027 Roadmap
To ensure that the 2027 National General Election is free, fair, safe and truly inclusive, the IPPCC observation team has suggested the following urgent policy recommendations based on direct community feedback.Implementation of Electronic Voting: Transitioning toward biometric or electronic voting mechanisms, the use of photo roll to eliminate the physical intimidation related with block voting and ballot tampering. Mandatory NIC Verification: Integrating National Identification (NID) cards into the voter enrollment and verification process to clean up the common roll. Gender-Segregated Polling Booths: Establishing dedicated, separate polling areas for women to ensure they can cast their ballots safely, independently, and without external coercion. Proactive Party Campaigns Encouraging registered political parties to maintain a continuous, visible presence through policy awareness year-round, rather than surfacing during brief campaign windows. The Registry’s observation team has concluded that by addressing these structural weaknesses and updating the Code of Conduct, PNG can better safeguard the integrity of its electoral systems and foster a more responsible political culture.

REGISTRY TEAM TRACKS SHIFTING VOTER TRENDS IN NEW IRELAND BY-ELECTION

An observation team from the Office of the Registry of Political Parties and Candidates Commission has completed an extensive monitoring task in New Ireland Province, uncovering major shifts in voter behavior and deep-rooted political rivalries. Deployed to Kavieng from January 16th to 23rd, 2026, the commission’s team was assigned with evaluating political party performance, measuring voter perceptions, and assessing the participation of women during the provincial by-election. The officials from the IPPCC collected these findings, highlighting a changing political landscape following the passing of the former Prime Minister, People’s Progress Party (PPP) founder and Governor, Late Sir Julius Chan.
Commission Captures Voter Backlash
Using targeted questionnaire guides and face-to-face interviews during exit polls, the Registry’s team documented a significant breakdown in traditional party-line voting. In the past, New Ireland voters have strictly aligned with major party platforms. However, the recent controversial strategies during the recent by-election disrupted this trend. The nation's oldest political entity, Pangu Pati, chose not to endorse its own candidate, instead joining forces with the PPP to back Byron Chan, the late Governor’s son. Commission observers recorded widespread dissatisfaction among grass-roots party followers, who openly criticized the alliance. Locals told Registry’s branding the coalition a "political marriage of convenience" designed solely to maintain hereditary control. The report notes that this internal friction drove a large portion of traditional party loyalists to abandon the coalition candidate and cast their votes for independents instead. Out of ten contesting candidates, seven ran as independents.
Key Candidate Platforms and Cultural Hurdles Monitored
The Registry team monitored the campaigns of several prominent contenders, noting distinct differences in strategy and public reception: In the case of Byron Chan (PPP) coming from a strongly leveraged established party machinery and received a wave of "sympathy votes," a succession trend the Registry notes has been repeated in other recent by-elections like Bulolo, Maprik, and Porgera-Paiela. For Kepas Aruban Wali (Independent) which merged as the primary challenger to the Chan dynasty. Running on the slogan "Mangi Ples Yet" (A Local Boy), Wali drew large crowds. Registry interviews revealed his message resonated deeply with voters frustrated that a province hosting two major gold mines has seen little to no new infrastructure. The lone female candidate in the race, Rhodie Paut-Nawara (Independent), presented a comprehensive 100-day policy platform focusing on power generation, water supplies, and medical facility scoping. Despite Paut-Nawara’s strong third-place finish in the 2022 National General Election, the Registry’s team observed that the deeply engrained patriarchal Maimai (Chief) culture continues to severely restrict the political advancement of women. Local interviews conducted by the team confirmed that because male chiefs dominate community decision-making, the chances for female candidates remain slim without a coordinated shift in cultural mindsets.
Field Operations and Biometric Testing
Registry officials on the ground monitored all six polling stations within the Kavieng Urban LLG, reporting a highly peaceful environment with no security incidents and a light police presence. The commission highlighted a notable administrative trial: polling officials successfully captured facial photographs of voters at exit points. This initiative was implemented to build data security ahead of the biometric voting roll-out planned for the 2027 National General Election which may not happen following confirmation from the PNG Electoral Commission.However, the team flagged a severe, recurring warning for electoral authorities. Many elderly citizens in their 50s and 60s discovered their names were entirely missing from the common roll—an ongoing issue previously documented in 2017 and 2022. While the Election Manager received last-minute clearance to utilize the 2022 supplementary list to rectify some omissions, the Registry warned that unresolved common roll issues could trigger widespread chaos in the 2027 national elections if left unaddressed.
Post-Election Standoff Following Declaration
The counting process finally endorsed the Registry's field observations of a highly competitive race. Byron Chan was declared the winner after the elimination of National Alliance candidate Joshua Takin Soi provided the necessary preference flow. Chan secured the seat with 21,481 votes, defeating runner-up Kepas Wali (15,725 votes) by a margin of 5,756.

JANET’S JOURNEY WITH IPPCC

This September, the Registry of Political Parties will celebrate its silver jubilee, marking 25 years since its inception. While political landscapes change and leaders come and go, one steady presence has remained, the operational backbone of the office. Mrs. Janet Mallian, the Executive Officer who has served alongside every single Registrar in the Registry’s history.
From the Registry’s humble beginnings under the Department of the Prime Minister and National Executive (PMNEC) to its modern standing as a self-accounting institution, Mrs. Mallian, from the Karkar Island in Madang province has been part of the Registry every step of the way. Her journey is a personal milestone; yet it is the story of Papua New Guinea’s democratic process. Mrs. Mallian’s story with the Registry began in April 2007 as a young woman with so much enthusiasm. At the time, she was working with the Legislative Council division within the PM&NEC. When Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta’s administration established the IPPCC the founding Registrar, the late Paul Bengo, began recruiting capable public servants to build the new office from the ground up. Mrs. Mallian was brought in on a six-month secondment arrangement to assist with setting up administrative structures. But as October approached, she realized her heart was with the newly formed Registry. “I applied for this position because I saw that it was vacant, I applied and got that position, so I did a letter to my boss (late Mr Hudson Ramatlap the First Legislative Counsel) at Legislative Council asking if I could be transferred,” Janet recalls. Her boss did not take the news well. “He squeezed my letter and told me, “Get out of my office!” Fortunately, a fortnight later, her boss had a change of heart. “I told him, ‘You always encourage us to look for greener pastures, and I think I found one.” He laughed and said, “Yeah, okay, now I can let you go.” With that, Janet’s permanent tenure began, joining a tiny, tightly-knit team of pioneers, many of whom have since sadly passed away.
Witnessing an Institutional Development
Over nearly two decades, Mrs. Mallian has served under four distinct Registrars, each bringing a unique leadership style that shaped the Registry’s culture. Being the officer who works very close to the registrar’s over the years, she observes. The late Mr Paul Bengo was strict but deeply caring where he focused heavily on building the administrative foundation and recruiting the initial team from scratch. Sir Kina Bona was a lawyer by profession who brought legal thoroughness. He focused on uniting stakeholders and conducting provincial consultations on Organic Law. The late Dr. Alphonse Gelu, PhD brought with him the academic background and transitioned the Registry into a self-accounting body in 2014, breaking away from PM&NEC financial controls. He prioritized nationwide voter awareness, political party development workshops, and mentoring programs for women candidates.
The current Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Pok is a young vibrant leader who is focused on execution, gets work done. Recently, he quickly secured state funding and paid funding to political parties and back pay stipends for political party executives which was long overdue, and enforcing structural compliance. Among the effective actions of the Registrar, the funding also catered for 3 directors’ vehicles, an office bus and a support vehicle “I’ve seen a very big difference,” Janet notes comparing the eras. “Late Dr. Gelu groomed the staff beautifully. The others passed only Mr. Solomon Puana promoted to Manager Policy & Legal and current as Director Funding & Disclosure. Now we have Mr. Emmanuel Pok, who is an action man, he gets things done, though he needs the strong administrative and technical manpower of the office to back him up. Mr Pok has also put in a very big impact by lobbing for the Revised OLIPPAC with the key MPs. The Revised Law got passed in Parliament by 83-0.” Running the Registry is not without its trials. One of the greatest challenges Janet recalls from the early days was simply educating political parties about their obligations under the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates. A major behind-the scenes reality that the general public rarely sees is the difficult enforcement of accountability. Every year by March 31st, political parties must submit financial returns.
The IPPCC comprises of the Registrar, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC), the PNG Electoral Commissioner, the Clerk of Parliament, and church and women’s representatives, acts as the ultimate decision-making body. While, the Commission has historically been lenient, giving parties extra time to comply a historic milestone was reached recently when the Registry stood its ground against non-compliant, “one-man” parties. “We had 56 political parties after the 2022 General Elections. Just recently, they deregistered 12 political parties. The Commission members had to stand their ground to make the decision to deregister them.” Now we have 44 registered political parties. These deregistered parties must now wait for five years, an entire parliamentary term, before they can attempt to register again.” Mrs. Mallian highlighted.
Advise to young public servants
Her message to the younger generation in the public service,” There are so many criticisms on the media and social media about public service because we are paid by the state. So public servants must come to work on time, punctuality is very important and do your mandated role that you are paid to do and leave at 4.06pm. Be honest in your work and do it, not only when the boss is around.” “My tenure will be for less than 10 years, and it’s this young generation who will take the office forward. Their approach towards work needs to change. Mrs. Mallian advised.
Fond Memories
For Mrs. Mallian, the journey has been filled with unforgettable moments. One of her fondest memories dates back to her early days in 2009, when she traveled as part of a massive Pacific Islands delegation to Vanuatu alongside Mr. Bengo and Dr. Sepoe (the then-Chairlady of the Commission). “It was my first time traveling for work, sitting at a round table, listening to them debate and talking about political party systems – I learnt so much, and I will never forget it. She also fondly remembers the strict but motivating standard held by Dr. Gelu during nationwide awareness campaigns. “He would tell us, “I can tell if you’re really doing your awareness or if you’re just sitting under a tree sleeping or drinking. When you submit your report, I will know!’ It kept us on our toes and ensured we truly went out and interviewed the public.” From a skeleton staff of less than ten people working out of the Prime Minister’s department, the Registry has grown into a strong institution of 27 staff members operating from its own independent office. As the IPPCC Registry prepares to cut its 25th-anniversary cake this September, it does so on the shoulders of dedicated public servants like Mrs. Mallan. Her resilience, adaptability, and institutional memory remain the quiet engine driving the Registry of Political Parties now and into the next 25 years.

NEW COMMISSIONER SWORN IN TO STRENGTHEN IPPCC BOARD

The Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission (IPPCC) marks a significant milestone in its ongoing institutional growth with the official swearing in of its newest Commissioner, Mr. Alphone Kapi Malipu.Mr. Malipu serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission (NEFC), who was officially sworn in on 29th May 2026 by the Legal Manager, Lyean Nants at the Pala boardroom in the Registry’s office in Port Moresby. Welcoming the new member of the Commission, IPPCC Registrar Mr. Emmanuel Pok emphasized the crucial role the Commission plays in shaping Papua New Guinea’s political landscape and uplifting its democratic institutions.
Mr. Pok briefed the Board on several major, upcoming policy initiatives designed to develop and improve the administration of political parties nationwide. The addition of fresh outlook to the Board comes at a vital time as these regulatory frameworks are being developed.IPPCC Chairman, Reverend Roger Joseph said, “The changes we are seeing today are reflections of a collective commitment to improving the organization and strengthening its role in our democracy.” Reverend Joseph expressed the Board’s appreciation to Mr. Malipu for stepping into the role during this crucial period of development. Acknowledging that the IPPCC has continued to make steady progress despite external criticisms, Reverend Joseph noted that navigating such challenges is a natural part of Commission’s growth. The Chairman highlighted that Mr. Malipu’s extensive background will be an invaluable asset to the team, in the areas of Academia and Public Policy, Governance and Leadership from a public sector experience and leadership role at NEFC.“Coming from your rich background of academia and public policy advisory, you will bring significant value to the Board in guiding discussions and shaping decisions that will contribute positively to the future of our country,” Reverend Joseph stated.
The appointment of the NEFC Chairman to the IPPCC Board emphasizes a growing momentum toward collaboration between key state institutions. Members of the Commission’s Board, the Secretariat and the Management of the Registry were all in attendance during the swearing in ceremony.