Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has reaffirmed his government’s full commitment to implementing biometric and technology- driven reforms in Papua New Guinea’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 National General Election, describing the initiative as “vital to preserving the sanctity of democracy.”

Speaking at the Transforming Elections Through Biometrics & Technology Workshop in Port Moresby this morning, Prime Minister Marape called on all state institutions, political parties, and development partners to “connect the dots” and work with urgency to modernise PNG’s electoral processes.

Preserving Democracy Through Reform

PM Marape reminded participants — including representatives from the Judiciary, Electoral Commission, National Statistics Office (NSO), Civil and Identity Registry (NID), and international partners such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and the United Nations — that the integrity of elections underpins PNG’s democracy.

“We are not playing monkey business here — the heart of democracy is people’s choice,” he said.

“Time is running out. A day wasted in conversation is a day lost for our country. My government is 100% committed to ensuring the people’s choice is protected and reflected in 2027 and beyond.”

PM Marape said PNG’s election system had suffered recurring weaknesses in every national election since 2002 — from roll inflation to delays in counting — and that the country could not afford to repeat the same mistakes.

“A generation is foolish when it ignores its weaknesses and lives through them,” he warned, quoting Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Biometric and Technology-Driven Voting

The Prime Minister said biometric technology — incorporating fingerprint identification and unified national databases — would significantly reduce fraud, double voting, and manipulation in future elections.

“Each of us has one fingerprint unique to ourselves. Using biometric systems will eliminate double voting, block voting, and other irregularities that have weakened trust in our elections,” he said.

“Technology is available, and it is time we use it to remove human interference and ensure transparent, credible results.”

PM Marape urged citizens not to fear digital transformation, pointing to nations such as India, where technology has enabled single-day voting and near-instant results.

He also called for greater coordination between agencies — particularly the NSO, NID, and Electoral Commission — to establish a single national population database that could underpin the electoral roll and all other government services.

“The data must speak to each other. One population database must be the foundation of our systems,” he said.

Building a Credible 2027 Election

Prime Minister Marape said Cabinet had, since 2021 (Decision No. 134/21), established a pathway toward technology-enabled elections, and that the 2026 national budget would allocate resources to support biometric implementation and system integration.

“We have 20 months to prepare before writs are issued in April 2027,” he said.

“Our government will fund and support these reforms in 2026 so that our people can exercise their Section 50 right to vote freely and fairly.”

PM Marape said it was better to lose government under a transparent process than to win under a system clouded by irregularities.

“I would rather lose government in a fair process than win under a flawed one,” he declared.

“The true test of leadership is to strengthen democracy — not manipulate it.”

Call for Political and Public Support

The Prime Minister appealed to all Members of Parliament, political parties, and citizens to support the reform effort, emphasising that democracy depends on the people’s active participation.

“Democracy will keep our country together — not one-man rule or any other system,” he said.

“When elections come, do not just talk on Facebook. Go and vote. Your vote constructs your government.”

He added that the Pangu Pati, which led the nation to Independence in 1975, remains committed to electoral integrity and democratic renewal.

“Pangu birthed this democracy in 1975, and we will protect it in 2027,” PM Marape said.

“Our generation must leave behind a better, more credible electoral system for the next 50 years.”