Somare's bid fails

Picture: Stuart Mcevoy The Australian
Sir Michael failed in his bid to have the nation's governor-general swear in his cabinet, after police refused to let him enter Government House.

Sir Michael, 76, was ordered back to power on Monday by three of the five Supreme Court justices overseeing hearings into the legitimacy of the government of Peter O'Neill. Two judges refused to participate in the judgment.

Sir Michael arrived at Government House in Port Moresby about 3pm yesterday, but was prevented from entering the grounds by about 30 policemen guarding the front gate.

After waiting inside a dark blue Mercedes Benz for about five minutes, the man known as the Grand Chief was driven away from Government House back to the Ela Beach Hotel in central Port Moresby.

Sir Michael's choice for attorney-general, Sir Arnold Amet, had told journalists earlier yesterday Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio had agreed to swear in the Somare cabinet.

"The prime minister, Sir Michael, requested His Excellency to receive him and swear in his caretaker cabinet," Sir Arnold said.

"He has agreed to see the Grand Chief subject to protocol."

However, Sir Arnold soon left Government House for the Ela Beach hotel, a well-known base of operations for Sir Michael's supporters.

After he left and the police presence began to lessen, Operations Commander Colonel Walter Enuma told his men he had been advised by the governor-general's office not to let anyone in.

"No one goes in until after the elections," he said. "Enough of this chequebook war."

Peter O'Neill, the man installed as prime minister on August 2 with the backing of 70 of PNG's 109 MPs, yesterday said the court had overstepped the separation of powers.

"We believe the decision of 12 December 2011 and repeated on Monday evening is in total defiance of the legislature and in total disregard of the Doctrine of Separation of powers between the three executive arms of government," he said.

"We believe this decision in warped, vengeful and was arrived at emotionally."

He had earlier said the court's sudden decision on Sunday to hand down its judgment the following day was an attempt to disrupt the national elections in five weeks' time.

The O'Neill government has been criticised internationally for its repeated attempts to suspend Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, whom they accuse of bias.

Police earlier this year arrested the Supreme Court veteran on charges of trying to pervert their investigation into his handling of court funds.

However, the court quickly stayed proceedings into that matter and called the police investigation an abuse of process.

Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika and Justice Bernard Sakora refused to participate in Monday's judgment, citing legal ethics and judicial integrity.

The Sunday Chronicle newspaper the day before had published emails between the judges, in which one of the five judges, Justice Nicholas Kerriwom, referred to the O'Neill government as illegal.

In December, Mr O'Neill and about 60 of his parliamentary supporters were prevented from entering Government House after the court first ordered Sir Michael's return to power.

After the majority of parliament again backed Mr O'Neill, Governor-General Ogio agreed to swear in the O'Neill government.

Sir Michael's cabinet then tried to instigate a military mutiny, but only about 30 soldiers supported them.
Parliament had been expected to be recalled yesterday at 10am, however, the sitting did not go ahead.

A spokesman for Mr O'Neill said most MPs had returned to their electorates to campaign for reelection.

"If we can't do it today, we'll try and get them tomorrow (today)," he said.


AFP

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 24, 2012 at 12:41 AM

    Sadly no compromise yet,let the polls decide by peoples vote,then the correction process can begin where it warrants.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 24, 2012 at 7:57 AM

    O'Namahs are rogue MPs. They must be removed for good of PNG. Leaders who break laws will bring curse to their people. That is very clear in history.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 24, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    let the citizens decide in five weeks through the ballot box. lets leave the legitimacy of whom to lead thereafter.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please free to leave comments.

Popular posts from this blog

HIGHLANDS FRAUD F*CKS RUNNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,

Image
A Fraudster and unqualified person has been shortlisted for NEC submission for the position of CEPA Managing Director. The candidate in question is Jude Tukulyia. His academic credentials are subject to scrutiny. Further investigation is required to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of his qualifications, particularly the reported diploma in accounting, Bachelor of Laws, MBA from Divine Word and UPNG respectively. It is very suspicious and unprofessional  when the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Hon Simo Kilepa, wrote to UPNG Vice Chancellor asking to confirm Jude’s questioned education qualifications. This very due diligence work is the core responsibility of the Public Service Commission and Department of Personnel Management. What authority does the portfolio minister have to write to the Universities? Dumbfounding indeed if one asks. Ulterior motives written all over the letter. This amounts to  Questionable Academic Qualifications of Mr Tukulyia.    
Read more

PNG, VERY RICH YET STILL A VERY VERY POOR COUNTRY

Image
by GARY MONDULAME Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, continues to grapple with economic challenges that belie its potential wealth. The nation's economic narrative is a paradox—rich in resources yet burdened by poverty. The explanation for this paradox lies not only in economic mismanagement but also in deep-seated corruption that has permeated the political landscape since independence in 1975. Following its independence from Australia, PNG was entrusted to leaders who lacked a vision for a holistic national development. This absence of foresight is evident from the lack of long-term development plans that could have distributed the country’s wealth fairly across all regions and communities. Successive governments failed to establish foundational strategies such as building satellite townships or creating robust rural housing schemes. Instead, they resorted to short-term, reactive measures that did not foster sustainable growth. The nascent l
Read more

AUGUSTINE MANO PNG'S PREMIER CORPORATE CROOK

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN In a significant setback for Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has dismissed the company's appeal to stop criminal investigations into its dealings with landowner funds held in the Pacific Balance Fund (PBF). The court ruled that MRDC's appeal was an "abuse of process" and ordered the company to pay costs of the proceedings. MRDC, a unit holder in PBF, had taken legal action against the National Court's decision to dismiss its case, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and held that MRDC's appeal was nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the police's criminal investigative process. The court found that MRDC had no authority to conducted its own investigation into the activities of the Melanesian Trustee Services Limited (MTSL), the fund manager of PBF, and that its actions were in violation of the Trust Deed
Read more

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, WHY THE PNG ECONOMY STILL SUCKS

Image
Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor Bank of PNG (BPNG) by MICHAEL JOSEPH PASSINGAN The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a crucial juncture. Despite some signs of recovery, the country faces several structural challenges that continue to impede its economic progress. The March 2024 Monetary Policy Statement from the Bank of Papua New Guinea sheds light on these issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and the policy responses being implemented to navigate through these turbulent times. In 2023, PNG's economy grew by a modest 1.4%, a significant slowdown from the 5.2% growth witnessed in 2022. This tepid growth is largely attributed to delays in major projects and ongoing economic issues that have not been fully resolved. The anticipated growth for 2024 is around 3.0%, buoyed by the resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine. While this marks an improvement, it remains subdued compared to the potential of this resource-rich nation. One of the mo
Read more

James Marape's Missteps Openly Exposed at Australian Forum

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN  In a recent event that highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and governance, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, faced a challenging situation during his appearance at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. The Lowy Institute, known for its role as an independent think tank focusing on international policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, provided a platform for a candid assessment of Marape's governance. Following his formal address, Marape engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Institute. Dr. Fullilove, a respected figure in public and international policy, scrutinized Marape's past promises and statements, contrasting them with the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The discussion took a critical turn as Dr. Fullilove revisited Marape's 2019 speech at the same venue, where Marape had outlined his vision for PNG in a speech titled “A New Boo
Read more

MARAPE & PAITA ABOUT TO SIGN AWAY PNG GOLD

Image
By: Andrew Arthur Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his planning minister Reinbo Paita are the parties behind the theft of all Papua New Guinea’s gold for the next 100 years! They have given approval for the STATE of Papua New Guinea to sign away all gold rights to an Australian paper company in Refinery Holdings PTE LTD. First, they have done the deal with a paper company even before there is a LAW that says they have the right to do the deal. We see how the real manipulation works out. Marape and Paita now need to get the law passed by Parliament. The law is before the Parliament to set up Papua New Guinea’s first National Gold Corporation. The National Gold Corporation Bill first surfaced in 2012 but successive Government of Sir Michael Somare and Hon. Peter O’Neill, in their wisdom, had refused to pass this Bill as there have been some sinister motives and constitutional issues associated with the Bill. The new bill will allow Refinery Holdings LTD PTE to own 70% of the National
Read more

PNG GOVERNMENT MINISTER IN PORN VIDEO

Image
WEWAK MP AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICE MINISTER JIM SIMATAB ANOTHER PUPPET WHO NEEDS TO BE VOTED OUT Wewak Open Electorate and the people of East Sepik Province are suffering from lack of development and delivery of basic services. Meanwhile, their MP, Jim Simatab, who is also Correctional Services Minister seems to be very busy having extra marital affairs with young Tolai girls who are young enough to be his child or grandchild. He is a typical puppet in the coalition of the corrupt who needs to be voted out in 2017. WARNING NUDITY AND SEX SCENE VIDEO LINK
Read more