By Andrew Pascoe*

The cards seem firmly stacked against optimism on the streets of Papua New Guinea at the moment. It’s a bad sign in an election year, with little confidence evident that the outcome will correct our Pacific neighbour’s course from the particularly rocky path it’s taken in recent months.

But here — like elsewhere in the developing world where obscene power disparity is mobilising the masses — a wellspring of resistance is brewing.

Source: Post Courier, Wednesday 29th February

THE Papua New Guinea 2012 General Elections will proceed as planned. 

Already 75 percent of the Electoral Roll is complete – the remaining 25 percent should be completed in two months.

PNG Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen announced this yesterday yesterday adding “the Election 2012 will proceed as required by the National Constitution” and that the preparations were on schedule.

Source: The National, 01st March 2012

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

DEPUTY Prime Minister Belden Namah has announced that parliament is looking at deferring the general election for 12 months to allow the government to fully implement its major po­licies.

He said if he had the support of the prime minister, he would use all his resources to ensure Peter O’Neill was returned as prime minister after the election.

Life in Wisteria Lane (Desperate Housewives) and Manhattan’s Upper East Side (Gossip Girl) can’t get more exciting than life in Papua New Guinea! In case you aren't aware Papua New Guinea's 2012 National Elections scheduled to happen in nine weeks time might be postponed.

Source: Post Courier

THE national elections – only nine weeks away - will only be deferred on the advice from the PNG Electoral Commission and the Police. 

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told Post-Courier that his Government or Parliament would not rush into deferring the national elections because of concerns surrounding the update of the common roll as well as security for the polls.

TRANSPERANCY International PNG (TIPNG) wants the 2012 National Election to go ahead.

Source: Post Courier 

TIPNG chairman Lawrence Stephens stated that TI had taken this position because they were reliably informed that the electoral rolls were as ready as they had ever been and possibly more so.

It stated that it is extremely disappointing to hear that Members of Parliament are deliberately creating fear with the impression that PNG is less prepared than it has been in the past.

AAP

The Papua New Guinea government has launched a crackdown on "subversive" activity on the internet.

It has begun monitoring the internet and is urging citizens to dob in anyone spreading "malicious and misleading" anti-state information online and via text messages.

Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Ben Micah, announced the initiative in the Port Moresby-based The National Newspaper on Monday.

Source: The National, Monday 27th Febuary 2012

By Martyn Namorong

Papua New Guinean film maker Scott Waide’s recent video (see below) featuring the squalid living conditions of police in the Madang Province, highlighted the humanity and fragileness of these men in blue in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

No doubt there are shit cops who in many ways have defined the way the public sees the police force. But when one is presented with shit living conditions yet chooses to continue to serve the public, surely such service is beyond “just doing one’s job”.

From Radio New Zealand

A media advocate in Papua New Guinea says journalists are shocked and nervous after an official in the office of prime minister, Peter O’Neill, announced that people expressing what he called subversive views would be dealt with.

The official, Ben Micah, says a monitoring committee will be set up to look at the spreading of malicious and misleading information through social media, which he says would be regarded as a serious crime.