"The proposed increase in the nomination fee is not only unrealistic, unreasonable and unjustifiable but it appears an insane," writes a concerned citizen to the Prime Minister

by LUCAS KIAP

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An open letter to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to totally abandon the K10,000.00 nomination fee increase

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Dear Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, 

SUBJECT: K10,000.00 NOMINATION FEE 

I strongly refer to the above subject. 

I Lucas Kiap, a citizen of this great nation of Papua New Guinea. 

I am extremely concerned about your proposal to increase the election fees from K1,000.00 to K10,000.00. Simply, the election fee increase is totally unrealistic, unreasonable and unjustifiable. 

Mr Prime Minister, your proposal to increase the election fees can be seen as an act of depriving citizens off of their constitutional rights to political office inorder to build a government of only the privilege and rich class ruling the poor majority. It is an act of sabotaging democracy instead of upholding, discriminating the poor. 

Where in the world can we find a Prime Minister who is insane enough to think that the elections are going to be fully funded from the pockets of candidates by digging ten times (10) deep into their pockets? 

Where in the world can we find a Prime Minister who is paranoid enough to think that its poor rural population of more than eighty-five percent can afford K10,000 fee increase (1000% increase)? 

Seriously, you are joking, right? 

Mr. Prime Minister, PNG is a poor country yet it is one of the most expensive, highly income taxed, least liveable, and worst corrupt countries to live in the world. Our citizens are struggling to make daily ends meet. Prices of basic goods and services have been sky rocketing with no control. The poor state of the economy is not either helping the situation. 

Instead of reducing the election fees, you find the audacity to increase but beyond what can be considered unrealistic, unreasonable and unjustifiable. It doesn't make any sense at all. 

The current poor state of the economy is because of your government's mismanagement of the economy by reckless over-spending and over-borrowing. Your government has been warned many times yet you never listened but ignorant enough not to apologise and admit your miserable failures. 

Your pride and arrogant behaviour has so far cost the nation dearly to the extent of civil war. 

We know your party (PNC) has recently raised K60million through fundraising from your party faithfuls and political cronies. This K10,000.00 is lousy to you. So are most partys preying with you from the national coffers. 

But don't think we don't know the truth as your party is not a charity organisation either to give or receive such a huge amount from donors. The money they gave to your party is our people's money channeled into their accounts by awarding them lucrative contracts and inflating their prices. This has been the norm as what goes around comes around. 

As long as our people continue to accept anything that the government builds in the name of development, more billions will find its way unnoticed into your associates and political cronies accounts, only to find its way back into your party's fat bank account in the name of fundraising to keep your party in power. 

But what about other political parties, especially those in the opposition? 

I know you don't care what happens to this country as long as you secure yourself in power, establishing yourself as a dictator but at what cost?

To be human is to put yourself in the shoes of others to feel what they feel. Has humanity left you and you don't care about others and how they are feeling? 

Your apparent lack of empathy for others is what concerns us the most. Your actions have always been a concern since you forcefully took over power from the Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. You shouldn't be the Prime Minister because you can't truly represent the interests of the poor majority. 

You seem to make decisions out of touch with the reality but only to serve your own interest. 

My simple request is abandon this unrealistic idea of yours to increase the election fees because we are a poor country. More than ninety-five percent of the eight million population can't simply afford, allowing only the rich and political class to seek political office and rule them. 

Just give everyone a fair chance to political office and don't make it as only for the privilege and rich class. Don't make us feel poorer than we already are Mr Prime Minister. 

Yours sincerely, 

Lucas Kiap

Concerned citizen