My veiw is that the coalition partners after the 2007 elections will be between NA, PNC, Pangu and RDP. Other smaller parties to also join them will be PAP, National Party and United Party. On the other side will be PNG Party, NGP, PDM, PPP and PLP.

It will all depend on who bribes the most incoming MPs with enough money to win their short term loyalty. Who do you think right now has stolen the most money that can be used for this purpose? It's gonna take mega millions to get 55 MP votes that's for sure. Mega millions!

,,,

Bro RDP is too small and insignificant. What are the party policies? We need big strong parties like NGP and PNG Party to form Government.

the election can be likened to an ageing pamuk who has been positive tested for aids and has plastic surgery the face may change however the terminal disease wiill remain.

You are the winner of the most accurate posting so far on this thread.

Bras RDP igat 4 sitting MPs, NGP bikmaus long olgeta hap tasol igat one pela MP. RDP Dark horse.

Olsem wantok mentioned antap, RDP igat 4 stingking MPs because Maladina iken baim ol long moni bilong NPF em stilim. The more MPs you have depends on the power of your kina to buy more stingking MP's yu sawe tu o nogat????

You are RIGHT!

Whoever forms the government is whoever has stolen the most money to be used as bribes.

First bribe the voters.

Then fix the votes.

Then bribe the MPs.

Then form the government.

Then start the BIG TIME stealing.

That's our PNG leaders. Past. Present. Future.

Can we get rid of smaller parties after this election. Can we have only 5 major parties instead of many banana republic krungkrang?

Desperate ones like PLP should be dumped at Baruni dump.

I would vote for Kanage

Absoloutely right.
I agree with thst concept.

I hope that the original poster(Anonymous) was incorrect but he is probably right.I aligned myself with NGP as I truly believe in what they stand for and I would still stay with them athough I am certainly disappointed that we were not able to attract other MP's to join with us.
In spite of my personal disappointment,what else could you expect?
This is a party that will begin with re-opening all outstanding and unfinished Commissions of Enquiry,do way with Electoral Development funds(the main reason that a lot of candidates want to be elected in the first place),strengthen Leadership codes so that leaders found guilty face the same penalties as under the criminal code,and are banned from holding Public office for life-
This is also a party that has very limited funding so we could not attract people who were looking for money and cash handouts.Probably for the same reason we could not attract many current MP's but would they be wanting to face a future that had controlled funding for MP's? Would they be interested if they knew that they would face very harsh penalties if they breached the existing Leadership Code?
I was probably naive to join them but still would not change for all the tea in China.I certainly hope they feel as happy about choosing me as their candidate out of the 18 others who applied from our electorate.
Bart Philemon is a good man with strong principles and so is Sir Bob Sinclair.I know that I am also of the same mould and would not be swayed by any amount of free money.Unfortunately this does not apply to the people who really count and they are the voters.People have been led down the garden path for too long and they have very high personal expectations of their leaders who are under immense pressure to deliver and also a lot of them go in to politics with very little and see many people become personal millionaires virtually overnight.This is a temptation that is obviously too much for them to stand back and observe.Probably this is also the reason that many MP's stay in Moresby and don't go back to their electorates-people's expectations combined with the lure of the bright lights.
Voters need to look for candidates who exhibit strength of character in abundance.In reality this is not something they are seeking-in their efforts to seek something only to benefit themselves they are overlooking the need to really personally assess the characters of their candidates.
Sadly,NGP does only have one sitting member and parliament seems to me to be saddled with too many fence-sitters who don't want to make a committment on the face of decency at the expense of a chance to be in Government.
I woud certainly hope that NGP has a chance to form Gov't but even if it does not and I am fortunate enough to be elected(or the people of Bulolo Open are fortunate enough to vote for me),I would rather be a part of an effective Opposition and an honest leader than be part of what we currently have in power.

There you again, believing empty political promises like-

This is a party that will begin with re-opening all outstanding and unfinished Commissions of Enquiry,do way with Electoral Development funds(the main reason that a lot of candidates want to be elected in the first place),strengthen Leadership codes so that leaders found guilty face the same penalties as under the criminal code,and are banned from holding Public office for life-


They won't do any of that once they get in power. Sure, they may be just like the Grand Thief and pretend to do it but behind the scenes, remember....


There's MONEY, MONEY MONEY to be made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bart is no stranger to making money on the side. Yu no save lo displa tasol.

To the above Annon..I doubt that you know any of the members of the NGP party to be saying that they are just after the money. These party members want nothing more than to give back to their communities, to the underprivelaged, maybe like you. It's not about the money, so maybe next time, yu laik opim traipla maus blo yu na tromoi toktok nating, traim na save gut lo ol man meri na noken bagarapim ol nating. Their aim is to improve the way of life for Papua New Guineans, try and move us forward but if you want to live this backward sense of life that is right now, please go ahead and vote in the same old Somare government. Tasol taim Somare sindaun lo Government, na kaikai olgeta mani blo Aid na development blo ol rural ples, noken kam na komplain olsem mi no lukim development lo area blo mi. Em yupela laikim na yupela kisim.

Thanks Pikinini NGP....for Anonymous,you are typical of bloggers who believe the worst of anyone and complain furiously about anyone and everyone.You probably won't even vote and would never go so far as to put your head on the block by contesting an election.
PNG has been good to me and to my family and I really hope I can get elected but if I don't,that is OK too and I will still be here,doing my best.I could just do so much more if I was elected.
There are a lot of genuine people moving and working with NGP and not all of them are contesting either...some are just supporting.
If you are happy with PNG as it is,stay ith what you already have but if you want to see a difference,you have a lot of choices out there-some good,mostly same old,same old.
If I get elected I will jump up and down and scream,even walk naked in to parliament if they refuse to reopen any of the outstanding enquiries.I am not a fence-sitter,nor do I fear anyone or anything.
You all criticise Bart Philemon but do ,he was the only one who got up and walked out.I admit myself ,he took a long time to do so but maybe he is more patient than I would be.

Meri Wau ( mama),
I like your passion.

By chance you got the copy of the policy platforms of NGP with you?
Please post them online for us to read and decide.

I am still thinking.

NA, PAP, National Congress and Pangu candidates are already out of my list.

Pikinini NGP and Meri Wau (2007 candidate)

The cosmic creation (for Creationists) or cosmic evolution (for Darwinists) is such that complexities in structures and systems, to which we are a part, and to which PNG is a part, hold together, function and exist because of fundamental operational laws and building blocks.

This is my 15th year as a Lae resident and I now 'nakedly' confess to you both that I continue to suffer from the NGP Leader's ignorance to the operational laws and building blocks in the Lae political electorate. Meri Wau, I also am ready to force my way into the haus tambaran in nudity and stand before the 'spirits' who tortured me into this psychopathic condition.

I have a diabolic question: Do you both or the NGP Leader understand the operational laws and the building blocks I allude to? If you answer correctly, I will cover my nudity, if not, be prepared to take cover because I am prepared to bare it all.

Wetim yupela.

What operational laws? You mean the operational law that says whoever has the most money can buy the most votes, loyalties, etc????

That's the operational law that NGP is blisfully unaware of.

To the Devils Advocate, you claim to be a citizen of lae for 15 years. What have you done to help the people of Lae? You say you are now in a ppsychopathic condition because of ignorance to the operational laws, so why have you sat back and watched it all happen and not do anything about it? Would you say that was creationism or Darwinism?
To define your 'building blocks as you like to call it, ' one first has to define 'creationism and Darwinism.'
Creationism is the belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in their entirety by a supernatural deity or deities (typically God), Creationism often implies a political, and social campaign—for instance, in education—to assert the dominance or widespread acceptance of a theistic view of nature and the place of humanity within it.
Darwinsts however,state that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.
Both idealogies are complex and it all depends on each person to what they believe and what they stand in, to say that either theory holds PNG in place, or both, or parts of both make our country what it is today.
To what fundamental operational laws and building blocks are you refering to exactly? That a dominate person and or party will be 'created' for only a specific need and not to help the many others that need the help and support? Or is it that by electing that small percentage that has already been there and done that, they are given the better opportunity to compete than those less fortunate?
In the end, Devils Advocate, it really comes down to the people and what they want. Now unless, by you standing naked in the Haus Tambaran and trying to explain both these scientific ideologies, will somehow maybe miraculousy get them to see their view on who THEY want to vote for differently (which I doubt), lets' just leave it to the people to decide, as quite simply, they are the building blocks of our electorate and ultimately out country.

I think that any citizen of Lae has helped the city immensely if they've never stolen from public funds. Even the lowest honest citizen of Lae is higher than nearly all elected Morobe pollies.

How would you solve our problem that we constantly elect bad and corurpt leaders?

I stand by my name, so some of your openning questions are indeed my questions, which I am mandated to ask you and the NGP. But you appear to have played my role. But I, this will surprise you, am not a 'bad' advocate afterall, and since you asked of my contribution, here is what I did in the last 15 years:

To the NGP Leader:

* gave him my precious, precious, trustful votes!
* paid his fortnightly salaries (big money)!
* paid his sitting allowances (big money)!
* paid his entertainment allowances (big money)!
* paid his housing & transport allowances (big money)!
* gave him the district support grants (big money)!
* gave him the discretionary funds (big money)!

To the Lae political electorate:

* Read above? Man, I gave almost everything; my trust, my confidence, my money!

Yes, I am one building block of the Lae electorate! What's my reward for these contributions? Don't you think my psychopathic state is the best description for the 'rape' of my confidence and loyal contribution?

Don't you think that a psychopathic state of one building block has the potential of creating disfunctional 'waves' in the structures and systems of an electorate, and at large country? Just like a single mutation in a genome (building block) of a living thing causes significant change in the whole living system and structure? Or just like single atomic (atom: building block) change of an element causes functional or structural change of matter? Causes of change and effects of change are principle functional processes of creationism and/or evolutionism.

Understand the changes in the mood, the attitudes, the desires of the building blocks (people) and observe the effects of these changes, and honestly address them. Otherwise, any 'big' policies are simply like clanging cymbals or resounding gong, that produce deafening sounds, but also echo into a deafening silence! Simply create change in Lae electorate to create change in PNG.

You need to find ways to work outside of politics to bring change. Why do all of us think that politics is how to change things when every massive movement for improvement that has occurred elsewhere in the world over the last century was not thru elected leaders but through people power movements?

I prefer to see the goodness, decency and positive potential in all people first including wannabe politicains - then be disappointed if they prove otherwise. I don't see any sense in being disappointed in anyone prior to them giving you reason to do so. It's pre-empting the situation outcome and dangerous like George Bush and his pre-emptive war on Iraq. I remain optimistic, even though I have been disappointed by our polies repeatedly. I am not cynical YET. The glass always half full with me, even so it is difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook at times. Although, once polies prove to be ineffective and corrupt I will never trust them again.I judge on actions and proven past performance.

Others need to understand that a lot of the cynicism and anger we see displayed on this site and elsewhere stems from 30 years of unfulfilled promises, and systematic abuses by our polies of our funds, resources, citizenship etc etc. We now have generations suffering the same. They think they have given up their power to the abuser but it still remains firmly with the people.

Little wonder that some are advocating mass protesting and civil disobedience, for which, there is a place. I won't be discouraging it, in fact I would most likely be amongst the marchers, it's not only the young, dumb and naive who participate in this type of public displays of disapproval of government or corporate behaviour, it is every citizens right to do so, preferably in a peaceful and orderly manner.

I come from the generation that remembers a different PNG, full of promise and an unlimited positive future. No barbed or razor wire fencing, women could walk the streets at night, my mum and her nursing friends wore short short skirts and mini dresses and the men did not harrass them for it. I walked to school, played in the park with my friends after and walked home at 5, no worries whatsoever.

I am enthused about this elections, I believe that good things will come from it, I'm sure there are other candidates who are like-minded as Meri Wau, they may not necessarily be from the same party. They can form an effective opposition block to politicians dizzy and drunk from lapping at the public coffers. That is their way of effectively and positively dealing with the situation.

What we need to ask is what am I doing proactively to deal with the situation? Coming on here and complaining achieves very little as 90% of PNGeans do not have access to the internet.

If we all took the time when we return to the villages on breaks to educate our rellies and friends about the serious voting issues, on how to make their precious vote count wisely.

I have chosen that method as my proactive means of battling the disease that is corrupt and indifferent politicians. Talking with my rellies and friends 2006 Christmas at home in the village and again at Easter just to reinforce it. I personally believe it to be a more effective tool as the 2 people who had shown genuine interest had turned into 11 when I returned at Easter. I discussed in basic terms relating to their immediate lifestyle:

* the different party policies regarding roads, hospitals and schools etc
* the effect of corruption, who the corrupt polies are and what parties they were affiliated with
* the character and past behaviours of candidates as an private citizen etc.

It is the rural vote that counts in PNG. Our rural population is not dumb and unwise because they can't read or write. They understand issues and even party platforms if someone took the time to run through it in laymans terms, language they understand. No-one bothers about them until election time or when things get really bad and then some people even have the audacity to blame the rural voter for the situation.

I have also read some very good points on this site about how you as an individual can express your dissatisfaction by becoming more proactive.

All governments require a kick up the butt every now and then, not from other politicians but from the public, the PNG government has never had that done to it effectively, consistently and for a continuous period of time. It is a child who has gotten away with stealing the cookies 9 times out of 10 for the first 10 years of its life so it is confident that it will continue to get away with it.

Em tasol, have an enjoyable weekend

Believing the best of our politicians is exactly what has landed us in our present mess.

Sorry, I don't buy your strategy of thinking for or hoping for the best of ANY PNG politicians.

Of course you were told that money talks and only money talks months before but you persisted with your illusion up to when? Yesterday? That illusion will leave you with no power at all and since you chose the formal government route to power instead of organising people in massive civil disobedience, you'll find yourself not having changed PNG at all. PNG can change, PNG can be saved, but it will only be through the kind of people power that overthrew 2 corrupt presidents in the philipines. Don't say this isn't possible in PNG, start with the squatters in the towns. They only need a spark to ignite.

The problem is that they'll ignite on their own and create terrible damage because we didn't organise them peacefully and effectively when there was still time to do so. There have been velvet revolutions, yellow rose revolutions, etc etc revolutions in many parts of the world over the past 10 years that were peaceful but insistent, with the people taking to the streets in multiple thousands and forcing down the governments of the day and supporting people that would have never had a chance to become the leader, to come to the head of the line.

Please don't keep talking about Bart Philemon as PNG's future, he's old, he's used up, he never spoke out when he could have for years and there are serious questions about his own activities when he was finance minister.

Surely there is fresh blood that can lead better but I can almost guarantee you that it won't come from within the ranks of intending candidates. Good leaders aren't hungry for power and thus they have little interest in joining the election rat race with all the money grubbers.

Sorry friends,I live in an area that has been wracked by Civil Disobedience and it often gets out of hand and people get killed,as happened in Bulolo several days ago.These things put a halt to much needed investment and the jobs that I would like to see for the people.
Maybe you are right,Bart Philemon is old,I am also not much younger but where were all the younger MP's when Bart Philemon couldn't take NA's attitude to the financial controls he was trying to exercise?Sometimes you need experienced,mature people.When I was young I thought eveyone older than me was an old fart,or a fuddyduddy -had so little time for them or their opinions and thought I knew it all.You are actually young for a very short time and old for so long.
To whoever it was that requested NGP's policy document-I will have to scan this in my daughter's office but am tied up for the next couple of days with campaign-related committments which are filling every day.My apologies to you for the delay but will try and get to it tomorrow,flooded rivers etc allowing as infrastrucure problems often prevent us getting from one side of town to the other.
I have no objection and take little offence to your criticisms as long as they aren't racist and I do believe that at any age,there is room for improvement.
I do have a passion and it is PNG(there has to be some outlet ) and its people and I do believe that we can all work together and make PNG a better place.
Must go and fill my car with fuel for a 3 hour drive and gruelling day trying to defend myself and my passion and explain why I am willing to give up a comfortable, private life........you have a good one!

Spend more time on civil disobedience training. Martin Luther King had the same problem but unlike you he didn't give up!

Stay in there, don't use excuses to ignore the one strategy that is desparately needed in PNG.

Actually,I don't give up and I probably never will.I also think that there should be some moves made by Civil Society to make changes or at least show some dissatifaction with what has been happening.I am extremely disappointed with Student Unions and Youth and Womens organisations but understand that they probably fear the violence that often succeeds civil disturbance in PNG.
I am not the same radical person I was when I was a student but I am certainly a saner(I hope),more practical and mature person now.I now think before I do things and consider the consequences to other people.

Meri Wau

All major movements for change involved some panic, violence and injury, it depends on whether you have the courage of your convictions. Risk can be minimised by good communication, cooperative leadership and intelligent strategising.

Rosa Parks was by no means immature or insane.

She knew that by refusing to give up her seat on the bus for a white man that 'all hell would break lose' and it did.

She knew others would get physically hurt and/or lynched.

She knew 'God was on her side'. I think it's safe to say the coloured and many of the white population supported her. She had had 'enough'. This little grey haired woman who had little education stood her ground.

We all know what happened to the Blacks in America after that incident but they were in solidarity - the professionals, the academics, the poor, the strugglers, they all realised the time for action was here - It was the beginning of the end.

If only more of us had half the moral courage and integrity of this little old lady.

Talking wasn't working and time didn't improve their basic human rights.

World history is littered with revolutions fought for a positive change. Revolution is certainly not for the faint hearted.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6893

gutpela toktok rokrok -

I would respect these wannabe pollies if they put their new found leadership roles to positive use by 'leading' some protest marches instead of conforming by dining with the devils.

Great people have one thing in common - they do not conform (PK SHAW)

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth - JFK

Observer,

I believe you are too wet behind the ears to be preaching to Meri Wau about civil disobedience training. She has lived her life in the wild west of Wau and she and her family have sacrificed alot and endured alot. You can read about other people's brave deeds in their life but unless you have gone through some of those "life and death" situations in your own life to relate to, you really do not have any standing to preach them to someone who has lived such situations in her personal life. And she has not given up and I do not believe she is about to give up soon.

Meri Wau is the right person to represent Wau/Bulolo. The fact that she is with NGP is a secondary matter.

Well said - I hope she survives the snake pit. It will be very difficult for her not to compromise herself once inside.

She appears to be able to handle herself.

I also believe that it is every citizens duty to participate in civil disobedience if required, especially if what you are protesting against is indecent and infringes on your civil rights.

I believe the PNG government violates our civil rights by prostituting our natural resources, citizenship and commonwealth.

It is not transparent and certainly not accountable.

Living in a wild place has absolutely nothing to do with a discussion on teaching or leading civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is effective when it is organised. You're talking about chaos situation which is totally different and usually nonproductive. Do you even know what civil disobedience is all about? How it is structured to bring about change? The only way we're going to get change in PNG is through revolution and civil disobedience is key to a successful and peaceful (except for police violence) revolution.

Anonymous,

If you know so much about leading civil disobedience then why aint you out there leading instead of being a chicken $hit expert about something you have not done?

Meri Wau, after reading what you wrote, I don't think you really know what civil disobedience is, how it's structured, and what it can accomplish.

Better read up because you'll lose the election but we don't want you to give up on working for change. But you have to learn about this stuff before you can implement it properly.

At this point I am really too tired and too busy to read up or re-educate myself about anything except what life actually throws in front of my face.
I had a very gruelling day yesterday but people,especially the women ,were very supportive.Today will be as busy and I was woken 3 times in the night by irresponsible campaigners with megaphones who love to drive past my house in the early hours to remind me of the box number of their candidates.If any of my people did this I would physically wring their necks.
I posssibly will lose this election and I would only feel that I have let down the women and probably should have done a few thing differently but it would not have meant that I should have been a different person as at my age you don't re-invent yourself.My only real regret will be the end of a good fight.
I have money of my own and I could go out there with a bag full of it and buy support,I could also take up some of my own wantoks offers of assistance,I could also ask NGP for help(but that would take some of our meagre resources away from other candidates who would need the more than me)-I could do a lot of things but they would be against everything that I talk about and I am not looking for a paid job like most of the candidates,I am not looking for a party that is going to give me anything personally,I am not looking to go out and character asassinate any other candidates(although one of them is my own step-son who seems to hate the colour of my skin more than anything else,poor boy)-I could do so many things differently!
It doesn't mean enough to me to win an election.It will give me nothing but a lot of hard work and many headaches but if I do win,maye I could at least help bring a few few bills to parliament and change a few little things that need to be addressed,maybe I could bring at least one economic project to the people of our electorate(we have not had one via an MP in 32 years),maybe I could be in a position to make sure the new mining company has a valid environmental policy(and abides by it),maybe,maybe,maybe....
Don't always be so quick to criticise unless you yourself are ready to go out and join the fight.

meri wau. stap wantaim yu. will not lose hope for png. grassroots forever!

If we are lucky and are genuine in our support Meri Wau will win.Mama bilong Mipela.

hey hey Meri Wau,

You will do just fine. You just be you and concentrate on the issues. And take one day at a time.

And reply my email too

Meri Wau

You are wrong. You are never too old to reinivent or re-educate yourself or learn new tricks. Never be satisfied with the status quo - time, techonology and inventions are moving so fast you need to keep up, especially if you are a politician.

I am 40 years old and hope to continue learning new ideas, inventions and opinions until I die. Life should be a never ending quest for knowledge, improvement and education.

Anonymous,
You are wet behind the ears compared to Meri Wau. Since when did you lead civil disobedience in PNG? Don't pretend to be an expert if YOU have not done what you are preaching to Meri Wau. It makes you an empty hypocrite.

Are you an expert? Who's an expert? Who participated in the Sandline demonstration anyone out there? Cos it's time to bring someone more authoritative than Meri Wau or anyone else here to this board. Someone who has at least studied civil disobedience and fully understand it is prefered over those who misunderstand what it's all about. Someone explain to us all more about how you organise protests that work. We all need to become more informed about that stuff because it's obvious the election isn't going to change a thing. We're just going to elect another lot of bums to replace the old bums partly because people are going to stuff and steal ballots all over.

Thanks.

Its all chicken $hit my friend...
People read a few things on the internet and then they come to this internet site and talk as if they are experts in civil disobediance my butt,, its all empty words because they do not know what they are talking about.

ICE THOSE CORRUPT POLITICIANS

I actually agree with 'the Anon' who suggested the violent termination of corrupt politicians. Enough is enough because the longer we allow these corrupt politicians to thrive on our stupidity (not knowing who to vote), our greed (all the free lamb flaps and promise of free money), and our ignorance (the country continues with its tribalistic practices) the country will accelerate in its backward slide.

We can realistically measure corruption in its outcomes. And the outcomes of government corruption in a poor small island country like PNG can only be measured in lives. In the Asia Pacific region we have the highest maternal child mortality rates, the lowest literacy rates, the fastest growing HIV population group and many more poor socioeconomic indicators in the region.

We cannot measure a country's true economic performance based solely on day to day exchange rates and other political gimmicks. We have to translate these political performances and policies into human lives, the lives of our women and children to appreciate the extreme of corruption crimes committed by our leaders from Prime Ministerial level down to his heads of department and the public servants ultimately.

Time and again the electoral process has failed to deliver the leaders the country desperately needs. Failed because the prevailing levels of poverty has made people blind to the desperate cries of the young developing nation. The blinded voters now side with the politicians and their false promises in hope of cargo cult miracles. No one has made better national education standards an election issue, no one has made better health standards an election issue, all these contribute to "Future Planning and Investment" for our children. So our people don't really care then for our future in our daily struggle with poverty.

Thus if voters cannot bring about change then change must be initiated and instituted at the highest levels possible either peaceably or enforced. Peaceable institution of change is impossible with prevalent corruption among those who are responsible to legislating change, hence it must be enforced on authorities who will implement it. The only option available without total breakdown in an uprising or military coup is the covert termination of as many corrupt politicians with extreme prejudice as possible like many have proposed as a measure to deter (enforce) other politicians from beginning or continuing deeper into corruption.

I hence will support any group or groups that sound this precept around PNG.

You laid out the sad situation with eyes open. It was a good summary of what we face.

I think people were kind of hoping that you knew what you were talking about and could share with us!! Peace.

Iceman and all of you have valid points and what it shows is the same frustration shown by the people of PNG ,without their apathetic attitude.
I do see that you seriously wish to make a change,so do I, but I have lived so long with violence that has become acceptable (as well as the corruption which has almost become acceptable)that I do not see an answer in civil disobedience.
I hate to see people getting killed and young lives being lost needlessly.Particularly when it doesn't bring about any change.
I also don't think the answer lies in prayer and am sick to death of people praying for the good Lord to deliver good leaders.He hasn't done it yet so instead of praying,spend more time evaluating the characters of the people you are voting for.

How is civil disobedience violent e.g. sit down strikes? It is the police who are violent not those whose civil disobey...... they 're the ones who train themselves never to responde with violence the civil disobeyers.

Meri Wau,

You are confused. Civil disobedience does not necessarily involve violence. You are saying you can't have one without the other. To say that advocating mass protests and civil disobedience is advocating violence shows your lack of understanding of this issue.

There is a fringe element who will get violent but a majority occur around the world in a peaceful and orderly manner. The violent ones are the ones that make the news, and 9 times out of 10 it is the police who are at fault for inciting the situation by using extreme physical force.

It is a legal right of any country's citizens to rage against the machine when youve had enough. For you a potential politician to dismiss it as violent and unproductive is disappointing.

By your statements, you are dismissing very important real events that shaped the world and ALL involved civil disobedience AND/OR deaths.

* Apartheid in South Africa
* Apartheid in the US
* Gandhi and the struggle for Independence of India (Gandhi abhorred violence) however during his struggle, many of his supporters were engaging in violent confrontations with the authorities.
* East Timor
* Bolivian Water Wars

and the list continues...

NGP boast to be fielding 108 candidates in the National Elections but they are not adequately funding their campaigns. Something is wrong.

Someone I know is most definitely going to win but he was given only K1000.00 for his election campaigns, that is absolutely pathetic and laughable!
What can you do with K1000.00 in highlands politics.

They should have done their homework and adequately finance who have a higher probability of winning rather than putting all their 108 candidates in the same basket.

If they do not do something now! NGP is history, at the most they might make it to parliament with not more than 5 winners!

I think its sad that you believe the candidates should get more money than K1000.

We all know that the reason for more money is to buy votes and act corruptly.

Obviously you want them to have more money so they can buy more votes and act corrupt.

You want NGP to be corrupt just like the other political parties & that's no good.

You should apologise. Now.

Anon, I think its people like you who should go back to stoneage. We needed people who can campaign without no money. I am an Highlander candidate under a certain Political Party and I never asked the Party to give me no money, because my voters need no money. That differentiates a true leader from scum scavanagers like you who think that Political Parties are mini-banks.

I'm with you buddy. The less money distributed the better. This cargo mentality is unhealthy and needs to be knocked on the head. Time for some tough love. Handouts just encourage 'handout mentality' among voters.

You most likely will not win but at least it was a clean attempt.

I applaud you for not compromising your principles.

I thought the government handed all candidates a minimum amount?