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services of others rendered should be compensated accordingly. When someone works in
another’s garden or, builds his house, the others are morally obliged to relinquish their
own tasks and help the others. One is obliged to provide meals to the helpers in return.
Similarly, candidates contesting the elections are perceived to be vying for greater status
and fame. As such candidates would be expected to provide meals by sponsoring feasts
on a grand scale. No ordinary citizen would vie for such endeavors unless one is prepared
to come forth with the expected lavish feasting. This is normally interpreted as a
prerequisite to a show of strong and sound leadership.
In the minds of the average voter therefore, this state-sanctioned process has everything
to do with feasting and thereby pushing the much needed basic health and education
services to the backstage. And because the venture is perceived as a gain to the candidate
therefore candidates are expected to provide the patronage. This is in line with the
underlying principles of reciprocity. Failure to meet such would render one’s attempt as
odd, out of line, and futile. The corollary is that no votes would be guaranteed.
So how can the state of PNG achieve a fair democratic electoral process when the
behavior of the voters is dictated by cultural factors that are contra to democratic
processes?
This dilemma and internal contradictions perpetuated by candidates and voters alike
undermine the process of democracy in a major way. Candidates are then forced to
compromise their state leadership instead play the customary ‘big men’ and other model
roles at least temporarily – during elections – but are allowed to behave differently once
they are voted in. Unfortunately however, most MPs carry over such influences way into
their parliamentary tenure and thereby render their performance as MPs with absolute
failure.
With the established morals of sharing and cooperation being rapidly jettisoned by the
onset of new foreign ideals and concepts, the contemporary trend is for one to pay for all
services solicited from fellow citizens. No one will voluntarily assist the other in making
a garden or building a house unless one provides rice, tin fish, sugar and tea. The same
logic is applied come the election of candidates. Votes can be seen to have been
commodified even along the lines of social relations and networks. Elected leaders in
turn, see expenditure during elections as an investment to be returned once in power as an
MP, and a Minister. Little did they know that cultural burdens compound once one is
elected in. Because the parliament is not designed to serve parochial cultural obligations,
MPs constantly find themselves financially over burdened or, susceptible to breaching
leadership codes, and a plethora of constitutional procedures.
Ultimately there is therefore less hope of MPs providing services than becoming mere
slaves of cultural tendencies. Elections in PNG then become mere handmaidens of
cultural predilections and cannot be seen as democratic. Remarks of elders in the likes of
Ugwayoba (Okhabobwa), Moyokeda & Gumkwaradu (Okheboma), Beniani &
Khabwaku (Okhabulula), Khetoma & Taudiri (Osapola), late Khalumwewa (Khetui),
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