PRIME MINISTERS OFFICE

MEDIA UNIT

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Media Statement
Friday 08th March, 2013

PM: TIPNG claims on 2012 elections an exaggeration

Claims by Transparency International concerning the conduct of the 2012 National Elections were an exaggeration - and disappointing, Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill said today. The Prime Minister said there had been problems with every national election since Independence, and there were probably problems with preindependence House of Assembly elections. "The geography of Papua New Guinea makes service delivery and communications an enormous challenge day on day out. Staging national elections across the country is no different," Mr O'Neill said. "I thought the overall conduct of the last election was significantly better than the 2007 election, and the 2002 election before that." "When you have so many candidates, and regional as well as open electorates the logistics of polling, and counting, are a challenge." "But I believe that, with Australian government funded support, and the presence of international observers, as well as a free press, and a robust political party process, the election process produced a fair, and democratic, result," he said. "But there is another important check and balance in the conduct of our elections. The National Court functions as an independent tribunal to hear

Dept. of Prime Minister & NEC, PO Box 639, Waigani, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

disputes by unsuccessful candidates - and that process is currently under way," he said. "We should have confidence in the judicial process to consider, and where necessary overturn, election results." "The fact that the great majority of objections have been dismissed basically confirms that the elections were generally fairly conducted." Mr O'Neill said he generally applauded and supported the work of TI in fighting and exposing corruption and abuse, but he was very disappointed that its claims regarding the conduct of the elections were an exaggeration.

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Dept. of Prime Minister & NEC, PO Box 639, Waigani, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea