PNGBLOGS

SOUTH PACIFIC POST We were inundated with telephone calls from our readers all day yesterday for news on the latest political developments in Waigani from our readers throughout the country. All we did was to inform them that the updates were still coming in and by the end of the day; we will have something solid for them. By the end of the day, we learnt that the Highlands Bloc of the National Alliance Party was meeting with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, which culminated in a petition to the Grand Chief to rescind his decision to replace Don Pomb Polye with Sam Abal as the Deputy Prime Minister. Abal, the son of one of the Highlands region most respect Parliamentarians in the colonial era, was not present at this meeting, we were told. The Prime Minister is yet to respond to the petition, or if he did late last night after we went on to print it, we are not aware so it is safe to assume that Mr Abal, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister is the new Deputy Prime

SOUTH PACIFIC POST We were inundated with telephone calls from our readers all day yesterday for news on the latest political developments in Waigani from our readers throughout the country. All we did was to inform them that the updates were still coming in and by the end of the day; we will have something solid for them. By the end of the day, we learnt that the Highlands Bloc of the National Alliance Party was meeting with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, which culminated in a petition to the Grand Chief to rescind his decision to replace Don Pomb Polye with Sam Abal as the Deputy Prime Minister. Abal, the son of one of the Highlands region most respect Parliamentarians in the colonial era, was not present at this meeting, we were told. The Prime Minister is yet to respond to the petition, or if he did late last night after we went on to print it, we are not aware so it is safe to assume that Mr Abal, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister is the new Deputy

STEVE ZWICK On Monday, an article attributed to the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported that Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare has officially denounced voluntary carbon schemes as being too risky.  The article – widely replicated in blogs and news outlets – said that Somare was encouraging forest owners to wait for a formal UN REDD regime before preserving their forests to earn credits for saving rainforests.  The message, however, is not posted on Somare's web page , and the voluntary programs he's denouncing were never verified to any recognized standard. It's just the latest in a series of weird signals to come out of PNG, which is under fire on both the compliance and voluntary carbon fronts. On the compliance front, PNG's handling of the REDD+ Partnership drew fire at UN Climate-Change talks in Tianjin, where scores of participants accused their negotiating team of stifling efforts to bring small landowners and indigenous groups into t

STEVE ZWICK On Monday, an article attributed to the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported that Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare has officially denounced voluntary carbon schemes as being too risky.  The article – widely replicated in blogs and news outlets – said that Somare was encouraging forest owners to wait for a formal UN REDD regime before preserving their forests to earn credits for saving rainforests.  The message, however, is not posted on Somare's web page , and the voluntary programs he's denouncing were never verified to any recognized standard. It's just the latest in a series of weird signals to come out of PNG, which is under fire on both the compliance and voluntary carbon fronts. On the compliance front, PNG's handling of the REDD+ Partnership drew fire at UN Climate-Change talks in Tianjin, where scores of participants accused their negotiating team of stifling efforts to bring small landowners and indigenous groups

ROWAN CALLICK AUSTRALIAN investment in Papua New Guinea's resurgent resources sector is booming, but the risks have been underlined by dramatic events. There was a violent raid on a construction camp at Kikori for the $16.5 billion ExxonMobil-Oil Search-Santos liquefied natural gas project. Kikori is in Gulf province northwest of Port Moresby. As well, the developers have won the latest round of a colossal court battle over the disposal of tailings from the $1.8bn Ramu Nickel mine, under construction by Chinese state-owned giant Metallurgical Construction Corporation, with Brisbane-based Highlands Gold a minority stakeholder. The common theme in both cases is the role of frustrated, opportunistic or worried landowners. The attack at Kikori came at night, when no one was working at the site, so there were no injuries, but a Caterpillar 740 dumptruck -- which routinely costs $250,000 secondhand -- and another truck were destroyed by fire, and other equipment was damaged severely, som

ROWAN CALLICK AUSTRALIAN investment in Papua New Guinea's resurgent resources sector is booming, but the risks have been underlined by dramatic events. There was a violent raid on a construction camp at Kikori for the $16.5 billion ExxonMobil-Oil Search-Santos liquefied natural gas project. Kikori is in Gulf province northwest of Port Moresby. As well, the developers have won the latest round of a colossal court battle over the disposal of tailings from the $1.8bn Ramu Nickel mine, under construction by Chinese state-owned giant Metallurgical Construction Corporation, with Brisbane-based Highlands Gold a minority stakeholder. The common theme in both cases is the role of frustrated, opportunistic or worried landowners. The attack at Kikori came at night, when no one was working at the site, so there were no injuries, but a Caterpillar 740 dumptruck -- which routinely costs $250,000 secondhand -- and another truck were destroyed by fire, and other equipment was damaged severe

OP/ED Don Polye is a good man. Well that is what we like to believe. The Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare must have faith in this bearded Highlander for he has allowed him to act as Prime Minister when the Chief had left to tackle work overseas for Papua New Guinea in recent months. And the future looks bright for the man from Kandep, who is seen as the next Prime Minister from the Highlands. The only other Highlands PM was also another bearded man from Western Highlands, Paias Wingti. Mr Polye is very vocal on corruption. He has gone public many times telling the country that corruption has no place in PNG. At one point in time, he was heard threatening to throw his own family behind bars and throw the keys away, should they get themselves involved in any corrupt dealings involving public funds. It is comforting to know that today, when the public has lost confidence in the Government and its implementation arm, the public service, there is at least one senior politician who is stand

OP/ED Don Polye is a good man. Well that is what we like to believe. The Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare must have faith in this bearded Highlander for he has allowed him to act as Prime Minister when the Chief had left to tackle work overseas for Papua New Guinea in recent months. And the future looks bright for the man from Kandep, who is seen as the next Prime Minister from the Highlands. The only other Highlands PM was also another bearded man from Western Highlands, Paias Wingti. Mr Polye is very vocal on corruption. He has gone public many times telling the country that corruption has no place in PNG. At one point in time, he was heard threatening to throw his own family behind bars and throw the keys away, should they get themselves involved in any corrupt dealings involving public funds. It is comforting to know that today, when the public has lost confidence in the Government and its implementation arm, the public service, there is at least one senior politician who is stan

OSEAH PHILEMON Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has not made any announcement yet as to his political future and who is likely to succeed him if and when he decides to retire officially from politics. This is despite the much anticipated announcement coming from the highlands where he was visiting recently. All the hype about the eminent changeover of leadership in the ruling National Alliance Party that dominated Papua New Guinea’s political landscape for weeks leading to a political blood bath in Port Moresby seemed to have dried up—at least for now—as opposing parties retreat to their corners to plan their next move. The National Alliance Party was to have had a conference in the newly-created province of Jiwaka in the central Highlands but that conference was suddenly postponed. But no new dates of the meeting has been set. Jiwaka is the home of the National Alliance President Simon Kaiwi who is vying to contest the seat of governor in the 2012 electi

OSEAH PHILEMON Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare has not made any announcement yet as to his political future and who is likely to succeed him if and when he decides to retire officially from politics. This is despite the much anticipated announcement coming from the highlands where he was visiting recently. All the hype about the eminent changeover of leadership in the ruling National Alliance Party that dominated Papua New Guinea’s political landscape for weeks leading to a political blood bath in Port Moresby seemed to have dried up—at least for now—as opposing parties retreat to their corners to plan their next move. The National Alliance Party was to have had a conference in the newly-created province of Jiwaka in the central Highlands but that conference was suddenly postponed. But no new dates of the meeting has been set. Jiwaka is the home of the National Alliance President Simon Kaiwi who is vying to contest the seat of governor in the 2012 ele