Elections Commissioner to be sacked
There
is growing evidence that Papua New Guinea's government may move to sack
the electoral commissioner, removing a steadfast obstacle to
parliament's vote to suspend the June election by six months.
Prime
Minister Peter O'Neill said on Friday the government appointment's
committee was investigating a discrepancy in Andrew Trawen's
reappointment as head of the electoral commission in 2010 by the
government of Sir Michael Somare.
He
told parliament he had received legal advice that Mr Trawen's term as
commissioner had been extended beyond the mandatory retirement age of 55
set for certain PNG civil servants without a compelling reason.
"That reasoning was not provided at that meeting," Mr O'Neill said.
"In
fact, the meeting took less than three minutes, at least that's what
one of the members who was there deliberated to us after that meeting
yesterday with my good friend, the leader of the opposition and the
other members."
He
told parliament the government's chief secretary, Manasupe Zurenuoc,
was investigating the matter and had told the PM he needed time to do
so, with advice to come in the coming week.
But
in what can be interpreted as parliament's determination to have its
will heard, Mr O'Neill earlier told the chamber parliament's vote on
April 11 to delay the election did not need to be rescinded.
"The
motion that we passed on this floor was voted on by many of us on this
side of the house. We stood because we believed very strongly then, as
we do today, that the electoral commissioner was not ready because of
his failure to present the common roll (on time)."
Mr Trawen is a steadfast opponent of parliament's vote two weeks ago to suspend the elections by six months.
The specifics of Mr Trawen's appointment are just the latest volley in a larger, and longer, political game.
Since he took office on August 2 last year, Mr O'Neill has repeatedly said he wants elections to be conducted on time.
Mr
O'Neill voted along with 62 other government MPs on April 5 to delay
the poll by six months over fears of fraud in the common roll.
Mr Trawen says parliamentary terms - five and a half years - are fixed by the constitution.
Following
parliament's vote, Mr Trawen said he was going to Governor-General Sir
Michael Ogio to sign off on the issue of writs as scheduled on April 27.
Following
a massive public outcry about delaying the polls, Mr O'Neill said
parliament's decision was a protest only, and he agreed with Mr Trawen
to a three-week delay in the issue of writs with no change in the June
23 polling date.
However, Jeffery Nape, PNG's powerful speaker, told the chamber on April 11 the vote still stood and Mr Trawen should obey it.
Mr
O'Neill's coalition partner, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, has
frequently been highly critical of Mr Trawen's performance as electoral
commissioner, arguing that the rolls are not ready five years after the
last election.
Mr Trawen, with the backing of Australian-funded electoral support staff, says the rolls will be fully updated by May 18.
AAP
understands that many sitting MPs also fear the odds are stacked
against them during PNG's relatively chaotic five-yearly elections
because Mr Trawen is an appointment of the former PM.
However, PNG traditionally has a high turnover rate of MPs after elections.
Journalists
were on Wednesday night sent documents from the Somare camp detailing
Mr Trawen's appointment as electoral commissioner.
Mr Trawen could not be contacted for comment
AFP
Let us be clear Parliament has no power to defer national elections. Motion is a motion. It does not alter the Constitution. O'Namah Group are being misled by their legal advisers. Retirement age for public servants have been raised to 60 years so there is no legal issue. O'Namah Group will be thrown out in a matter of days. And Tiffany will go to jail for advising O'Namah Group to break our Constitution. Bamahuta Tiffany!!!
ReplyDeleteWe respect private lives of married people. Tiffany is a whore. Who in O'Namah Group is she having affair with? Leaders should ask PO and BN when Parliament resumes on Tuesday. Not impressed at all.
ReplyDeleteIs your other a whole too?
ReplyDelete