democracy

Youthquake: will Melanesian democracy be sunk by demography?

In its latest briefing paper, the Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP) looks at the need for political reform to governing systems across Melanesia as its young population booms.

It asks a troubling question – will democracy be sunk by demography?

The Pacific in general, but Melanesia in particular faces a serious demographic challenge. More than half the population is under 24 and in broad terms, urban populations are doubling every 17 years while national populations are doubling every 30 years.

More »

THINK, SPEAK and then ACT!

By John Fowke

More »

PNG needs a new breed of politician

By Reginald Renagi

AFTER more than three decades of gaining independence, PNG now needs more young politicians in parliament.

After years of the same political leadership, many Papua New Guineans feel this is a good time to have more young politicians in the Haus Tambaran.

There is merit in this suggestion and it should be encouraged by all major political parties.

More »

Watch Papua New Guinea fall

From a Frustrated Citizen writing on Papua New Guinea blogs

Papua New Guinea as we know is now totally corrupt, the Judiciary the last beacon of hope for PNG is not as impartial as it used to be. In recent months we very experiences Judges sitting in the National and Supreme Court have been made to quit without having their tenures extended only to be replaced by senior lawyers who have been part of this government’s grab of power and statutory corruption at the beginning.

More »

The land of the disappointed: why the present electoral system is not working

By John Fowke

There are two basic reasons why the present system of elected representation doesn't produce policy-driven, positive improvements in the conditions of life in PNG.

More »

Has Papua New Guinea descended into dictatorship?

By PAUL OATES

Has Papua New Guinea descended into dictatorship?

PNG's Prime Minister Somare has previously denied he has become a dictator but what is a dictator? Here are a couple of definitions:

Wikipedia: A dictator is a ruler (e.g. absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power ….

More »

People's hero, Sam Basil, threatened again

From the PNGexposed blog

MP Sam Basil has received a number of abusive and threatening emails from an anonymous yahoo address created with the name Borit Yaken.

The emails (see below) threaten that Mr Basil’s wife will be raped and his children strangled if Mr Basil continues to speak out.

Mr Basil has been an outspoken critic of the government on corruption and governance issues and has assisted his people to take legal action against the owners of the Hidden Valley mine over the pollution of the Watut river.

More »

The unseen factor: Egypt's women protestors

By Esther Saoub (gb/dpa/AFP)

Tens of thousands of the protesters demanding political reforms in Cairo as part of the popular uprising are women.

A lot of the news footage from Egypt's Tahrir Square in central Cairo showed men standing and shouting in the front rows of demonstrators, but the impression is misleading.

More »

Papua New Guineans are being trodden on and kicked: Get up and protect yourself!

By a Special Correspondent

What more does Somare and his evil and corrupt Government have to do you to make you stand up and demand change?

The Constitution (the Mother Law) has been ignored, broken, tampered with and treated with contempt. Every other law of the land has been treated with similar; or worse; contempt by the Somare Government.

More »

An inauspicious start to the year makes our voices even more important

It has not been a great start to the year in Papua New Guinea - as we review below. But the negative stories about our government, stealing from the public purse and the resource industries only emphasis the importance of making OUR voices heard. If our leaders do not hear from us then the only changes we will see will be negative ones.  

More »

Pages

Subscribe to democracy