Queen could be called on to settle PNG political deadlock

The Queen could be called in to settle a bizarre political deadlock in Papua New Guinea which has left the country with two rival Prime Ministers and two governors-general.

While either of the two sides could seek the royal assent to their choice as governor-general, the Queen is likely to try to avoid a decision until the turmoil resolves internally. Experts said Buckingham Palace will be very unlikely to put phone calls from the Pacific nation through to the Queen. The Palace was drawn in to the unfolding turmoil after the PNG parliament voted to suspend the Queen's representative, Sir Michael Ogio, following his decision to back Sir Michael Somare to be prime minister.

Instead, the Parliament supported the Speaker as acting governor-general and he swiftly swore in a rival contender, Peter O'Neill, as prime minister. A constitutional expert, Anne Twomey, said the situation was "abominably complicated" and there were few – if any – precedents. Though it is unclear whether a governor-general has ever been suspended, there have been occasional sackings on Caribbean islands. However, these have occurred where the prime minister has fallen out with the governor-general – and so the Queen's assent to a sacking was uncontroversial. "The Queen will be very conscious of what is going on in PNG," she told The Daily Telegraph.. "She would most likely not act until it became absolutely clear who was the prime minister and comprised the national executive council.

While there was any doubt on that question, she would be unlikely to act ... Buckingham Palace will make sure that whoever answers the phone will give a placatory answer but they will be canny in not getting the Queen involved. If I were her, I would become rather hard to contact." The deadlock followed a decision by the country's Supreme Court to reinstate Sir Michael, a veteran and wily politician known as the grand chief. The court invalidated Sir Michael's resignation last August which had been announced by his family while he was receiving medical treatment abroad.

Adding a bizarre twist to the dramatic turmoil in the Commonwealth country, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the capital on Wednesday as an MP warned that Parliament was cursed. Dr Twomey, from Sydney University, said the closest precedent to the unfolding crisis was a case in Western Nigeria in 1962, when a provincial governor dismissed the premier, who appealed to the Queen. "Her Majesty's approach throughout was to do nothing and hope that the political issues would resolve themselves," she said. "I suspect she will take the same approach in relation to PNG.

She will not want to be involved in the politics of it. If you do nothing for long enough, the politics will normally sort itself out." Though the turmoil has not spilled into violence, the standoff has resulted in two leaders, two governors-general, two police commissioners and two cabinets. "We're all schizophrenic now. There's two of everything," said Institute of National Affairs executive director, Paul Barker. "The country cannot stand this division. There are questions of the legality over everything."

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