ELECTION PETITIONERS THROWING BAIT INTO THE SYSTEMATISED RIVER OF CORRUPTION

By:  Tarali Tarlzen HIBUYA

Let me start my prologue with a story of a man who wanted to go out on a mission of catching fish using his hook tight to a nylon string in the agitated Tagali River in the highlands (Hela Province) of Papua New Guinea. This river is wide, deep and brownish:- actually the biggest and longest in the Province. There are lots of fish in that river but not easy to catch. He roasted remainder of only few local potatoes he had in the ashes to use as baits on his hook.

He set out early in the morning’s dawn and selected a spot where he thinks is where fish will easily take his bait. He threw the stringed and baited hook into the brownish river, and in all his undertaken throws and waits; his baits were taken by fish without fish itself ensnared onto the sharp hook. Sometimes, the unseen fish in the river had to sway the string ferociously in all directions, but when pulled, nothing heavy is felt in his hopeful hand whilst his bait is gone from the tip of the hook. After all, he realizes the potatoes in his bag are all used up and his stomach achy and hungry and the dusk befall on his eyes.

The rate of charming the baits and the hilarious movements of string by the unseen fish in the big, wide, and unclear river made the man to have high hope in catching something big for his dinner but nothing caught that day until his eyes see the string no more. The day to look for other food is wasted and the pieces of sweet potatoes he had are all wasted! When the night came, he slept with hunger and regret for the wastage, only to wake up another day at the same time to look for food and declare war with the fish that took out all his baits. Only if he could fast-forward the time to next day would he use his last energy!

Now, the corruption we have in the country undertakes in many forms but one big aspect of it is BRIBERY. When you try to bribe into a system to get something in your favor, you are already throwing your bait into the systematized river of corruption without knowing the size of your catch as favor or how soon to receive it.

Bribery is normally done secretly, thus is illegal and unbounded deals in which agreements are only in the concealment of the minds. Just like unseen fish in the river making a big splash and extravagant movements of strings, it will give you fake hope to buy more time and for you to waste what you have. And its persuasive tongues of the conniving system will indulge you into paying more and more until you run dry. The more and more you believe in their con tactics, the more you will give and finally you will realize you have gone too far to the brink of bankruptcy.

The election petitioners in Papua New Guinea have been conned big time by all systems of government in Papua New Guinea. The systematized rivers of corruption may in this case be Electoral Commission officials, Judiciary Systems, Lawyers, Witnesses, Politicians, Media Outlets, supporters, etc. and etc. who may wobble the petitioners’ strings excitedly and make persuasive splashes on their systematized river of corruption to make the petitioners anticipate their catch to be just there for easier and swift seizure.

If petitioners have involved in bribery to win in court, they will find that they a fighting the losing battle at the end only to realize that they have unexploited their time, resources and energy that could have been utilized during five (5) years to prepare for next election.

My Best wishes to incumbent Hela Governor Ajai Petai Nakai Tia Igini (Hon. Governor-Philip Aja Undialu) and petitioner Hali Hogawi Tinawi Tiri Igini (Mr. Francis Mulungu Potabe) in your court battles in Waigani. Hela people and your supporters are aware of how ferocious battle you are fighting at the corridors of Waigani court houses and under the tables in the Hotels in NCD.

Picture: (L-R)-Francis Potabe & Philip Undialu

At the end when all is done and dusted, remember this post which is and will be kept or posted in this durable Hela Political Forum (Original). At least you are informed by a good citizen.