The Ombudsman Commission is calling on all eligible voters to exercise caution when casting their votes in the 2022 National General elections.
Through this media awareness exercise the Ombudsman Commission hopes to reach out to as many eligible voters as possible especially the vulnerable voters in the rural areas.
Good moral ethical standards in leaders are a real problem in our country today. The Ombudsman Commission statistics show more than 100 leaders from different sectors of the government have been investigated and referred to the Public Prosecutor for prosecution since independence.
There is a need to elect good leaders during the upcoming National Election in 2022.
Basic services like proper health care are not trickling down to the rural areas because of the bad decisions of those in influential positions.
We
read about a mother giving birth at the road side on her way to the nearest
hospital which is miles away; an asthmatic patient dying outside a hospital, children
not going to school because the school has closed down due to lack of
government funding; funds intended to build a bridge is misappropriated and
many more corrupt practices.
When you cast your vote, consider the qualities of a candidate who will make a good leader and those include:
- fulfilling his or her constitutional obligations without fear or favour;
- putting the interests of others before his or hers;
- providing goods and services to the people they are mandated to serve.
The Ombudsman Commission stresses to all eligible voters the major qualities which are outlined in the Leadership Code of the constitution of PNG.
This awareness is to educate people about the qualities of good leadership in order to screen candidates thoroughly before casting their votes.
Ask yourselves:
- Is the Candidate well-respected person in the community?
- Will she or he be responsible for his or her actions?
- Does she or he make public decisions without fear or favour?
- Will she be fair to everyone despite them not voting for him or her?
- Will she be a servant to the people when she gets elected?
- Is she or he an honest person?
The Ombudsman Commission urges all voters to look for the following qualities or values in a candidate:
INTEGRITY
He or she must be a person of standing, willing to sacrifice self and personal interest for the interest of the public and always stand for what is right for the benefit of his people against themselves.
HONESTY
He or she must be trusted, relied upon and is very truthful in discharging his leadership duties at all times, both in his/her private and public life.
FAIRNESS
He or she must exercise justice with objectivity and treat everyone as equal, elimination of favoritism, discrimination and voter-favor.
ACCOUNTABILITY
He or she must take responsibility and liability over his or her actions and allow others to observe and evaluate his performance. He shall be answerable to all actions and inactions.
TRANSPARENCY
His or her public decisions and actions must be visible to the public. His or her life and dealings must be open to public scrutiny and nothing is hidden from the public. Leaving footprints and trails of evidence open for public to gage and grace
SERVITUDE
He or she must be a servant for the people he represents and not a master over his people, asserting authoritarian rule. Having the knowledge and the know-how that enables delivery of services, developing policies and making laws in the Parliament that are direly missed by the voters using available resources.
HUMILITY
He or she must be humble at all times in living and leading his or her life as a leader and not hide behind the laws of “not guilty until proven guilty”.
ETHICAL
He or she must be a person who stands for what is right and correct in the eyes of law and social norms. He or she does not compromise his or her public responsibility by sweets and lures.
Voters are encouraged to be impartial in their choice of candidate. Do not sell your votes for money, material benefits or any form of inducements. Do not vote for associations or wantokism.
Do not vote when driven by future selfish interest and intent. Vote for the right candidate with right qualities and high moral standards. Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your investment. Speak up for the right candidate. Invest your right where you will make a sweet harvest in abundance in the future.