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Hi Yang, The data can be found in the database itself (for the years 2007, 2012 & 2017). We don't have information for earlier years unfortunately. You can access the database from the website:http://devpolicy.org/pngelections/datasets/ The number of candidates by gender for each province for 2017 & 2012 can be downloaded at: https://devpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2012-and-17-cands-by-prov-by-gender.xlsx Terence

The author raised two important reasons why a country should not make the religion Christianity enforceable by amendments to their constitutions. Firstly, he argues that in doing so it discriminates the rights of followers of other religion to practice their believe in a deity. Firstly, this brings the notion of rights itself. From a layman's view, right is basically the liberty to act/do things in a certain way based on free choice. Secondly, when a right is disputed it is done so on the basis of certain grounds that brings into question why a party's rights are disputed. It could be against common interest or violation of existing laws written or non-written. Disputing common interest relates to societal interest against minority interest in light of any form of threat to security or hindrance to prosperity for all etc. Violation of existing laws by a party is contested in a court of law to bring resolve to greving party(s). Now why are laws amended? Again from a layman's point of view, amendments are done on existing law(s) on the grounds that it conflicts with other laws or due to societal need in a changing world or when new provision(s) is/are deemed relevant for the progress of law and rights that need protection by law. Based on the above, the amendments to constitutional provision on "freedom of religion" whether it be Samoa or any other pacific country, it should be based on 1. societal interest given the onslaught of terrorism driven by the ideology of religion. It is in the interest of national security to make such amendments and thus amendment is necessary. 2. Unless it conflicts other existing laws written and non written it should be amended which in this case it does not so it is amendable. On the issue of discriminatory or non democratic nature of the amendments to "freedom of religion" is only true or correct when an individual person's right to religion or right to believe in a deity is striped by law. For instance the amendment must not spell out that every citizen should be a Christian or Buddhist etc...It is one's free choice or right on an individual level to be a believer or non-believer. Amendments should only limit and restrict 1. entry of new religion, 2. it's citizens and residents from publicly practising and 3. proliferate any religion apart from the lawful one....but individuals have the right to believe or not to believe. On the notion of Separation of Church and State by Christian dominated countries, there has to be clear demarcation between Church and State. State is mandated by the people and Church is mandated by God. Any amendment should not Christianise the State as a public institution or in any possible terms enable legislation(s) to do so.

Thank you Mr. Terence I find your information very helpful and relevant and it has helped me to complete my assessment Task. However, I would like to make a suggestion here that if you could update your information by giving us a total figure of participating candidates from each provinces with respect to their genders.

Thank you Benjamin for your comments. The aim of this blog post was to compare the mixed responses that surfaced on Facebook in PNG from the two intimate partner violence incidents that happened two weeks apart from each other, and the justifications as to why people reacted to the two cases differently when the underlying issue is violence and should be perceived as wrong.

Hi Tom, KFR can't be calculated. It's decided by the central bank (BPNG) on a monthly basis - it's also known as the overnight rate. See more here: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/overnightrate.asp#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Overnight%20Rate,sets%20to%20target%20monetary%20policy.

How is KFR calculated?

A very impressive research or note if i may on domestic violence in our country. I fully support the call of Stop violence against anyone male/female. Your research only capture recent killing of two females, but failed to capture recent killings of males. A police officer and an economist. This year.

Hi Henry Sherrell I need clarification about pest controller and fumigator. Under which shortage list or work visa does pest controller and fumigator falls . I have seen alot of vacancy but cant find in occupation list

A nice piece on the current political discourse. It is my view that the imminent issue at hand is how to have the public machinery effectively buy into this vision as much as the rest of the citizens of PNG should. Articulating this political ideology into practical terms needs the administrative chief executives and public managers nothing less than innovation, drive and desire to see improved functions that deliver real time service. It's now or never because the public service remains a stagnant party to many good political intentions and ambitions. Time and history has repetitively shown us. Ordinary Papua New Guineans have suffered enough from their lack of loyalty and duty of service from national to subnational in delivering effective services. Take Back PNG starts there as much as it starts with me for the greater good.

What's about bhp employees Share holders, there not from western Province; They worked with company, pay there share to company, I work with company in Lae Morobe Province ,Mondoro street, I am from Morobe Province, were his my dividend 2002 to 2020 ? I am not from western Province.

Thanks Amanda for this useful piece...yes, an amazing variation in prices. It's true that one needs two phones, or perhaps three! BMobile to access the internet on a regular and affordable basis; Digicel when you just need to download and it's taking forever on 3G BMobile...but Telikom's modems are a useful option, where the service is available...... On the fibre optic cables. NICTA and Dataco seem to be in interminable dialogue. Clearly the high cost of the (Huawei) domestic Kumul cable (price charged for installing and, no doubt the debt service costs) is a major burden for Dataco (especially when it's down for extended periods thanks to successive earthquake damage – which makes one wonder about the quality of the design/installation); it seems they want to utilise their monopoly control of the international access to cross subsidise the high cost of their domestic cable network, potentially severely undermining the opportunity gained from massive increase in bandwidth provided by the new cable to Sydney. NICTA is trying to determine a more acceptable set of user fees for consumers (business, government and individuals). Especially, now, with Covid-19 restraining normal economic, social and governance activities, it's crucial to be able to open up opportunities for e-learning, e-commerce as well as e-theatre and entertainment in a manner that's affordable for users, especially for public education services. That requires very substantial cuts in costs to consumers, including for government to fund e-education and health services. The ISPs at the moment still seem to access the internet more affordably from satellites than from the cable network, so they're hesitant to tie up to the new cables at least until pricing is markedly more competitive. The ball is very much in the Government's court, but government and its various entities (authorities & SOEs) need to be ready to share information (including details of their own contracts and financing arrangements), cooperate and be fully accountable to the public that they ostensibly serve.

FSM in USA may apply for Grant to teach the kids that are born in US our native culture and language.