Papua New Guinea Targets Asia Market with Singapore Tourism Launch

Papua New Guinea will receive a high-profile visit from the United Nations Secretary-General next week, a move former Prime Minister  Peter O’Neill says is a direct response to growing alarm over the country’s democratic decline.

O’Neill, now Leader of the People’s National Congress Party, said the visit is “a clear sign of embarrassment” for PNG as it prepares to celebrate its 50th year of independence. He claims the timing is no coincidence, but rather a warning.

He condemned the 2022 National General Election, where less than half of eligible voters cast their ballots and over 100 legal challenges were filed. The failure to conduct the 2024 Local Level Government elections, he added, is further evidence of democratic breakdown.

“Democracy in PNG is being denied, not upheld,” O’Neill declared. “Elections are the minimum standard of governance, yet they have been mishandled or ignored.”

He referenced the V-Dem Institute’s 2024 report, which categorises PNG as an “Electoral Autocracy,” as well as The Economist’s Democracy Index, which gave PNG a score of 5.97 out of 10.

“These international watchdogs are not listening to our politicians’ excuses. They are basing their judgments on facts,” O’Neill said.

“The UN Secretary-General is coming here because the world now views PNG as a failing democracy,” he concluded.

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Papua New Guinea Targets Asia Market with Singapore Tourism Launch