Papua New Guinea National Elections, June–July 2012

The Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group for the Papua New Guinea National Elections, held June–July 2012. The Group was led by Mr Nipake Edward Natapei, former Prime Minister for Vanuatu, and comprised 8 eminent persons in total.
The Group offered a number of recommendations for further strengthening the electoral process in Papua New Guinea. These include measures to improve the electoral roll and election management, further development of voter education, stronger enforcement of electoral laws, and continued efforts toward achieving a more level playing field for women’s political participation.
Contents
Letter of Transmittal
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Terms of reference
Activities
Chapter 2 – Political Background
Early and colonial history
Post-independence politics
The 2011–12 political crisis
Papua New Guinea and the Commonwealth
Chapter 3 – The Electoral Framework and Election Administration
International and regional commitments, and national legal framework
The electoral system
The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission
Voter eligibility and voter registration
Candidate eligibility and nomination
Election offences and election petitions
Key issues
Election boundaries and equal suffrage
Voter registration and the electoral roll
Election administration
Women’s participation and representation
Recommendations
Chapter 4 – The Election Campaign and Media
Campaign calendar
The campaign environment
Political parties
Key issues
Campaign financing and ‘money politics’
Media
The media and the campaign
Voter education
Recommendations
Chapter 5 – Voting, Counting and Tabulation
Opening and voting procedures
Key issues: opening and voting
Delays and reduced voting hours
The electoral roll
Ballot boxes
Filling in the ballot papers
Secrecy of the ballot and adherence to polling procedures
Women’s participation
Voters with a disability
Young people and elderly people
Procedures for the count
Key issues: the count
Overview of the countrywide observation
Recommendations
Chapter 6 – Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions
Recommendations
Electoral framework and election administration
Election campaign and media
Voting, counting and results
Annexes
Annex 1 – Composition of the Commonwealth Observer Group
Annex 2 – Arrival Statement
Annex 3 – COG Deployment Plan
Annex 4 – Interim Statement
Browse subjects
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