This seminar will highlight the main findings of the report on the 2022 PNG National General Election and engage the audience in a conversation about electoral integrity and reform.
As in previous elections, the Australian National University was one of several organisations invited to observe the 2022 PNG general elections. Involving 360 observers over a three-month period, the results of this research effort have recently been published and will be presented by the two key lead authors, Professor Nicole Haley and Dr Thiago Oppermann.
Key findings include that:
• PNG’s elections are characterised by extensive informality;
• there are important shortcomings to the overall organisation of the election;
• the state of the electoral roll undermines the quality of the elections;
• for many Papua New Guineans, elections are neither free nor fair;
• money politics is deeply entrenched in PNG political culture and electoral practice;
• weak procedural compliance and failure to safeguard a secret ballot detrimentally affects women’s electoral prospects;
• electoral violence continues to be a major problem in the Highlands.
The monthly ANU-UPNG seminar series is part of the partnership between the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and the UPNG, supported by the PNG-Aus Partnership.
Event Speakers
Nicole Haley
Professor Nicole Haley is an academic leader and scholar with 30 years research experience and 14 years leadership and management experience.
Thiago Cintra Oppermann
Thiago Oppermann completed a PhD thesis in 2011 which examined transformations in the kinship and customary authority systems amongst Halia-speakers in Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
He is currently a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs.