Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Elections in PNG; Rules of ther Game

I recently came across the following article titled "Global Voices: Rules of the Game"
(http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/global-voices-rules-of-the-game/ on the web and found it very interesting. I do not think I have ever come across an article that so well describes politics in Papua New Guinea (PNG)-especially the way campaigns done and what really determines who wins an election in PNG.

Unlike other parts of the world where democracy is freedom for the people, the PNG democratic system is one that does not necessarily grant the people freedom of anything.

This report was part of a documentary covering elections in PNG but mainly concentrated in the Eastern Highlands Province, the most peaceful of the 5 highlands provinces in PNG. Had it been done on another highland province in PNG, the report would have been more like a script from an Indiana Jones movie.

What really interests me is that, a certain Mr Terry Isagimo, a Papua New Guinean and the local campaign manager for the current Eastern Highlands Governor, Mr Mal Smith Kela, stated very clearly in the opening paragraph that "The way this country was built many years ago"........."works along who you know, and if you are asked to do a favor, weather its a good one or a bad one, you have an obligation to do it, even if its against your concerns." This was not the way things were like before, this, is how things were built many years ago........

Mr Isagimo's quote alone basically summarizes democracy in PNG, a country trying desperately to bridge its tribal past with a modern future, but divided by a lack of infrastructure and organisations, not to mention the tribal, clan and language barriers. A country whose independence actually means utter dependence on Australian aid that is jeopardized by political corruption all the time.

Read the article posted above and you will see that Papua New Guinea today is a country bound by favors and lost in dreams.


Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Blue moon right on New Year

Ever wondered what a blue moon really is? No, its not the color of the moon, its actually when there are two full moons in a month. It is said to occur every 2.5 years, however for one to occur right on New Year (December 31st), this is a rarity and occurs only once every 19 years. Last one was in 1990 and the next one will be in 2028.

So guys, come 2010, all eyes to the sky for a once in a 19 year experience. Check out the link I put below