Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) says the just-completed national election was a severely flawed process.
TIPNG deployed 340 observers during the polling period, its highest number in the last ten years.
In its initial assessment, Transparency said there must be a genuine commitment from all stakeholders to undertake major reforms of the electoral process to avoid similar problems at the 2027 election.
Voting in the PNG election Photo: Raguel Kepas
It said the numerous problems experienced during 2022 should be a "wake-up call" for the country's leaders to act.
Group chairman Peter Aitsi said there would need to be a structured intervention to restore public trust and demonstrate greater levels of competency.
He said in undertaking post-election analysis, all stakeholders should focus on structured long-term interventions that will promote transparency and integrity in PNG's National Elections.
"There is a five-year electoral planning cycle and that must be properly supported on an annual basis," said Aitsi.
"The issues of 2022 will not be resolved through quick fixes, which run the risk of further depleting limited public funding for this essential democratic process.
"In undertaking post-election analysis, all stakeholders should focus on structured long-term interventions that will promote transparency and integrity in PNG's National Elections."
Preliminary key issues TIPNG identified during the 2022 national general elections were:
* frequent instances of roll inaccuracy,
* lack of enforcement against election offences,
* non-compliance with Constitutional requirements,
* disturbances in the conduct of the ballot counting,
* confusion on the declaration of seats,
* and widespread election-related violence.
These issues will be further discussed in the full TIPNG 2022 Election Observation Report to be launched in November.
Namah questions criteria used for declaring certain seats
The former opposition leader Belden Namah has questioned which laws the Electoral Commissioner relied on to declare winners of seats under "special circumstances".
Namah, who now backs Prime Minister James Marape's government, was responding to the Commissioner Simon Sinai declaring winners in three seats before the counting process had been completed.
The National reports Sinai saying he had made the decisions after ballot papers had been destroyed by criminal elements before counting could be completed.
Namah also queried why counting for the National Capital District regional seat had not been completed.
"I would have expected that the capital city of PNG would have been one of the first to have seats declared already," he said.
The Vanimo Green MP says PNG needs a bi-partisan committee to review and audit the election and see what went wrong.
