MPs and candidates spending a lot during campaigns, how do they expect to recoup these monies? - 2017 NGE

by SEPSO NAIGO

I am here seeing and witnessing some serving MPs and some challenging candidates going from village to village/district to district attending ceremonies after ceremonies, speaking from grandstand to grandstand and dishing out hard cash to a certain appointed supporter in all the villages where he/she is expected to have some 1st preferential votes.

I, for one, wonder where they get all the money to be squandered at their disposal.???

Campaigning especially in the highlands is a very expensive exercise and to be in the game you have to have well over a million kina.

Even a well off businessman has to pay a big price to have extra cash for contingencies.
Don't forget that businessman and woman live on loans from banks and always want more money.

During the normal times, none of them cares about our well-being or for that matter attend to a funeral or anything in our villages but on during campaigning every five (5) years.

People who die during this one off period are buried like kings in state of the art coffins and the relatives of the deceased have the hidden secret big smiles forgetting to be in grieve as they know that candidates will come from all angles to chip in as their funeral contribution even though the deceased is not related to the candidate in one way or another.

This is also a period when most compensations and bride prizes are paid also having in mind with expectation from the candidates.

I wonder when these mentality will cease or be erased from the mindset of the people.

I have not seen any candidate in Southern Highlands discouraging this trend of politicking except for only one candidate Mr. ANDY ANDA AKIVI who is contesting for the Southern Highlands Governor's seat in the 2017 National General Elections.

I have seen him going around in his old cruiser on the campaign trail with a handful of supporters to plant their seeds (votes) in the garden to rip a full harvest.

Haven't seen him with a truck or cruiser convey entertaining supporters and playing music or someone to talk for him using the loudhailer, but he alone speaks his policies.

Remember that the candidate who has raised his hand to contest in any electorate and wins will be the one to do his presentation on the floor of parliament and not the briefcase carriers. It is therefore candidates should speak their own policies and do their own personal presentation before the people to judge.

Each and everyone of us have our own free will to vote however just thought of sharing my observations on this page.

Source: Southern Highlands 40 years and beyond (FB)