CANDIDATES are taking the campaign trail by storm, promising deli­very of goods and services if they get into parliament.
For the South Bougainville electorate, we hope that these promises will become reality after 15 years of hot air.
The South Bougainville infrastructure is a shame, compared to the more developed north and east coast corridor.
While they have benefited from 15 Japanese bridges over the past two years, the south is left with run-down bridges, leaving commuters to cross flooded rivers to go to markets.
The Torokina district and villages of Momarego and Mawarake in Bana are isolated from the rest of Bougainville.
A one-way vehicle hire to Arawa and Kokopau-Buka cost between K1,000 and K2,000.
The thirst for education has forced youths to undertake the pe­rilous journey to the mainland and Kangu.
There is only talk about developing the electrification grid for the south.
Nothing has been said about the Solomons corridor under the PNG Development Strategic Plan 2030.
In terms of education, the south is struggling, a far cry from the years before the crisis where Bougainville students were strong competitors on the PNG scale.
Granted, two members have been involved in the Buin High School’s elevation to a secondary level and the rehabilitation of community roads, yet both are Moresby residents.
Cash crops farming, civil engineering, farming of broiler chickens, pigs and animal feed are due to the work of local entrepreneurs, who ex­port cocoa and copra through Rabaul, thus denying grants to Au­tonomous Region of Bougainville.
On the policy front, the constituency expects the most morally righteous person to represent them.
As a national representative, the member needs to possess basic lite­rary and analytical skills to understand national policies, constituency issues and integrate them.
Furthermore, the member must synthesise policy issues and communicate with the constituency.
The electorate does not need a spectator during parliamentary de­bates.
He/she must engage positively in political dialogue and honest law-making with other members.
Waiting for basic resources under the LLG is not enough, as he/she must add value to his/her efforts to maximise benefits for the consti­tuen­cy.
Personal political whims must take second or third priority in the broad scheme of politics.