The Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is actively pursuing opportunities for collaboration and support from the Government of India to strengthen PNG’s electoral systems. Ongoing discussions are focused on areas such as electoral reforms, technology implementation, and capacity-building for PNG’s Electoral Commission in preparation for the 2027 General Elections.
Yesterday, the Electoral Commissioner, Simon Sinai and I had a productive meeting with the Acting High Commissioner of India to PNG. We discussed the path forward for formalising cooperation between our two governments through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU will also involve a partnership between the Electoral Commission of PNG and the Electoral Commission of India.
In May 2024, I lead a PNG government delegation, including representatives from the Electoral Commission, visited India and participated in India’s Election Visitors Programme during their
2024 national elections. This programme allowed us to gain valuable insights into India’s robust electoral management systems, including the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and biometric technology for voter enrolment and verification. These learnings are vital as PNG explores new technologies to modernise its electoral processes and ensure transparency and accuracy.
During the visit, we also met with the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), where discussions centred on how their training and development programmes could assist PNG Electoral Commission personnel. These programmes, with a strong emphasis on practical election management skills, offer the potential to significantly enhance the capacity of our electoral staff in administering elections.
Further meetings were held with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to understand the implementation of India’s Aadhaar card—a national ID system that uses biometric technology.
These discussions provided critical insights into how PNG could potentially apply similar technology in its own National Identification (NID) card system, which could improve future voter enrolment and validation processes.
In addition to these engagements, we also held meetings with the Indo-Pacific Chamber of Commerce. One of the highlights was a day-long workshop that brought together various biometric technology suppliers. This workshop allowed us to explore cutting-edge technology solutions that could be adapted to PNG’s electoral needs.
As we move forward, the PNG Government is committed to learning from these international best practices. Our focus is on exploring biometric technology and Electronic Voting Machines as part of a broader electoral reform strategy. The potential inclusion of such technologies in PNG’s NID card process could enhance the integrity of our voter enrolment and verification processes in future elections.
The Ministry, through the PNG Electoral Commission, is planning to commission a feasibility study on strengthening PNG’s electoral systems. This study will be essential in determining how these technologies can be integrated into PNG’s unique electoral context. We are also working closely with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for technical assistance on various reform matters, ensuring we adopt global best practices.
Furthermore, the 2022 Election Report presented to Parliament, which highlights key outcomes and recommendations, will serve as the foundation for these ongoing discussions and reforms.
As we continue these efforts, our goal is to ensure that the electoral process in PNG is both transparent and credible, and that it reflects the democratic values of our nation. We look forward to further cooperation with the Government of India and other international partners in this endeavour.