PNGBLOGS

The O'Neill group on the steps of Parliament this morning. Speaker Jeffrey Nape, has recognized Peter O'Neill as Prime Minister and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, declared as an ordinary citizen. Mr Nape stated this, as Parliament resumed this morning, with only the O'Neill/Namah group in the House, with the Opposition side empty and less than 10 M-Ps seated in the middle benches. M-Ps are debating the National Budget. Security is tight at Parliament, with the public disallowed from watching today's proceedings. Meantime, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and his Cabinet, are in a meeting with a member of the group saying, they hope to be sworn in later this afternoon. He says, the Governor-General is aware of the court orders which are explicit and is preparing the swearing-in instruments to be signed. The Head Of State, Sir Michael Ogio, has sought independent legal advice on the turn of events yesterday, after the Supreme Court reinstated Sir Michael Somare as th

The O'Neill group on the steps of Parliament this morning. Speaker Jeffrey Nape, has recognized Peter O'Neill as Prime Minister and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, declared as an ordinary citizen. Mr Nape stated this, as Parliament resumed this morning, with only the O'Neill/Namah group in the House, with the Opposition side empty and less than 10 M-Ps seated in the middle benches. M-Ps are debating the National Budget. Security is tight at Parliament, with the public disallowed from watching today's proceedings. Meantime, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and his Cabinet, are in a meeting with a member of the group saying, they hope to be sworn in later this afternoon. He says, the Governor-General is aware of the court orders which are explicit and is preparing the swearing-in instruments to be signed. The Head Of State, Sir Michael Ogio, has sought independent legal advice on the turn of events yesterday, after the Supreme Court reinstated Sir Michael Somare

Somare back in as Prime Minister THE Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea is expected to issue contempt charges against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, with a triumphant Sir Michael Somare saying he will present himself to the governor-general and take the oath of office. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the election of Mr O'Neill to the prime ministership by a parliamentary vote of 70-24 on August 2 was unconstitutional and ordered Sir Michael resume the top job. In doing so, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia indicated contempt charges will be laid against Mr O'Neill and his lawyer following a last ditch application on Friday to remove the three-year veteran of the Supreme Court before he had handed down his judgment. The Supreme Court is also expected to hand down a contempt judgment on Mr O'Neill's deputy PM Belden Namah and attorney-general Dr Alan Marat, after the pair tried to suspend the chief justice in November. The three to two decision by the five-man

Somare back in as Prime Minister THE Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea is expected to issue contempt charges against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, with a triumphant Sir Michael Somare saying he will present himself to the governor-general and take the oath of office. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the election of Mr O'Neill to the prime ministership by a parliamentary vote of 70-24 on August 2 was unconstitutional and ordered Sir Michael resume the top job. In doing so, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia indicated contempt charges will be laid against Mr O'Neill and his lawyer following a last ditch application on Friday to remove the three-year veteran of the Supreme Court before he had handed down his judgment. The Supreme Court is also expected to hand down a contempt judgment on Mr O'Neill's deputy PM Belden Namah and attorney-general Dr Alan Marat, after the pair tried to suspend the chief justice in November. The three to two decision by the f

The ‘Moti Affair’ isn’t over for PNG warns Susan Merrell  Legend has it that Italian courtier Damocles was awarded a much-coveted throne that brought with it great power and wealth. But also inherent in the acquisition was a sword, suspended by a single horse’s hair over the throne - the proverbial ‘Sword of Damocles’. Considering the threat intolerable, Damocles relinquished the throne (although I’ve never quite understood why he didn’t just remove the sword). There are outstanding issues, precariously suspended, like the Sword of Damocles, over the PNG government. The Moti Affair, for instance – while a legacy of the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare, unresolved, it’s now been passed on to the new PNG government and, in its current state, will dog any subsequent government. Recent Wikileaks cables emanating from the US embassy in PNG are a reminder. In one cable, headed ‘Papua New Guinea Prime Minister on Moti and Bilateral,’ Somare stated that the PNG government “knows who the cu

By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal finally d

By: SAM  BASIL MP The Prime Minister caused the Publication of the National Ministers constitutions the NEC and their respective Responsibilities in the National Gazette on Thursday 3'd March 2011, National Gazette No. G57 of 2011. In the publication, particularly Schedule 30 provides that Patrick Pruaitch as the Minister for State Assisting the Prime Minister. This is in direct contempt of the Orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Pruaitch v Manek [2010] PGSC 7;SCl052 (31 May 2010) where the Supreme Court declared that the leader was automatically suspended when the charges were served on the Tribunal. The highest Court of the land constituting Kirriwom J, Gavan-Nanu and Davani JJ declared that the leader was suspended forthwith. How could the PM then appoint him to be a minister of his cabinet?   The Tribunal is yet to hear the case against Mr. Pruaitch and as far as I could recall, there was no Court Order setting aside the Supreme Court Orders. Until the Tribunal fin

SPROX WALKER I was one of the many people who attended the lea­dership tribunal of Prime Mi­nister Sir Michael So­mare in court room 1 at the Waigani National Court premises recently. As a layman, I understand the different functions of the office of public prosecutor and the Om­budsman Commission. I also understand what the tribunal is and the purpose for its set-up and its conduct of the proceedings. During the course of the tribunal, three issues surfaced and I am troubled by them. First, the composition of the tribunal. Whilst I have no doubt about the academic and professional experiences of the members, I am disturbed by the quality of questions raised during the proceedings. These questions would not have risen if we had our own judges presiding. For the tribunal to understand the crux of the matter before them, they need to have a fair understanding of the constitutional planning committee report (CPC), the Constitution, relevant Organic Laws and enabling legislations. The coun

SPROX WALKER I was one of the many people who attended the lea­dership tribunal of Prime Mi­nister Sir Michael So­mare in court room 1 at the Waigani National Court premises recently. As a layman, I understand the different functions of the office of public prosecutor and the Om­budsman Commission. I also understand what the tribunal is and the purpose for its set-up and its conduct of the proceedings. During the course of the tribunal, three issues surfaced and I am troubled by them. First, the composition of the tribunal. Whilst I have no doubt about the academic and professional experiences of the members, I am disturbed by the quality of questions raised during the proceedings. These questions would not have risen if we had our own judges presiding. For the tribunal to understand the crux of the matter before them, they need to have a fair understanding of the constitutional planning committee report (CPC), the Constitution, relevant Organic Laws and enabling legislations. The

AAP Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare hopes a last minute court challenge can stop a leadership tribunal probing allegations he failed to lodge yearly financial statements. Sir Michael, 74, who has been PNG's prime minister four times in a political career spanning more than 40 years, is due to face a three-member bench on Thursday, where charges dating back 20 years will be heard. This week, Sir Michael's lawyers filed a new Supreme Court challenge against the tribunal's proceedings, claiming the original Ombudsman Commission investigation into the prime minister was biased and had protocol and procedural flaws. Sir Michael's lawyers lodged the submission in an effort to either delay or derail the tribunal in what a senior legal source told AAP was "a very PNG situation", with the two proceedings running concurrently. Since 2008, Sir Michael has used the courts to fight the Ombudsman Commission - PNG's corruption watchdog - but his efforts fa

AAP Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare hopes a last minute court challenge can stop a leadership tribunal probing allegations he failed to lodge yearly financial statements. Sir Michael, 74, who has been PNG's prime minister four times in a political career spanning more than 40 years, is due to face a three-member bench on Thursday, where charges dating back 20 years will be heard. This week, Sir Michael's lawyers filed a new Supreme Court challenge against the tribunal's proceedings, claiming the original Ombudsman Commission investigation into the prime minister was biased and had protocol and procedural flaws. Sir Michael's lawyers lodged the submission in an effort to either delay or derail the tribunal in what a senior legal source told AAP was "a very PNG situation", with the two proceedings running concurrently. Since 2008, Sir Michael has used the courts to fight the Ombudsman Commission - PNG's corruption watchdog - but his effort

RADIO ABC A constitutional lawyer in Papua New Guinea says Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare should have automatically stepped down or be suspended, after a tribunal was set up to look into alleged misconduct in office. Doctor John Nonggorr says it's the first time in PNG's short political history a prime minister will face a leadership tribunal. The tribunal is made up of judges from the Supreme and Appeals Courts of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Sir Michael is alleged to have failed, or lodged incomplete annual returns to PNG's Ombudsman Commission between 1994 and 1997. The Tribunal will start the inquiry on March 10. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he will comply with the laws but will remain in office and allow the tribunal to rule whether he could be suspended or not. Constitutional lawyer Doctor John Nonggorr says Sir Michael should be made to step aside until the inquiry is complete. "Clearly the leader ship tribunal says that the laws t

RADIO ABC A constitutional lawyer in Papua New Guinea says Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare should have automatically stepped down or be suspended, after a tribunal was set up to look into alleged misconduct in office. Doctor John Nonggorr says it's the first time in PNG's short political history a prime minister will face a leadership tribunal. The tribunal is made up of judges from the Supreme and Appeals Courts of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Sir Michael is alleged to have failed, or lodged incomplete annual returns to PNG's Ombudsman Commission between 1994 and 1997. The Tribunal will start the inquiry on March 10. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he will comply with the laws but will remain in office and allow the tribunal to rule whether he could be suspended or not. Constitutional lawyer Doctor John Nonggorr says Sir Michael should be made to step aside until the inquiry is complete. "Clearly the leader ship tribunal says that the

OP/ED A community leader from Mt Hagen rang this newspaper last night to confirm what he heard on the radio - was it really true that a leadership tribunal had been set up to hear allegations of misconduct in office against the Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare? The call from this leader in the mountains might just have been another curious member of the public but more significantly, it shows the interest with which ordinary Papua New Guineans have in this particular case. The Prime Minister’s referral has been in the public domain for such a long time it has often been used as a political weapon against the Prime Minister by his opponents, for which there are many, because he has vigorously fought it legally. This remote community leader, far flung from the corridors of powers of Waigani, shows how Papua New Guineans country-wide have watched and waited for an outcome such as announced yesterday afternoon by the Chief Justice after a long time – a Leadership Tribunal to h

OP/ED A community leader from Mt Hagen rang this newspaper last night to confirm what he heard on the radio - was it really true that a leadership tribunal had been set up to hear allegations of misconduct in office against the Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare? The call from this leader in the mountains might just have been another curious member of the public but more significantly, it shows the interest with which ordinary Papua New Guineans have in this particular case. The Prime Minister’s referral has been in the public domain for such a long time it has often been used as a political weapon against the Prime Minister by his opponents, for which there are many, because he has vigorously fought it legally. This remote community leader, far flung from the corridors of powers of Waigani, shows how Papua New Guineans country-wide have watched and waited for an outcome such as announced yesterday afternoon by the Chief Justice after a long time – a Leadership Tribunal t

SAM BASIL MP Today is a sad day for PNG as people whom we had hopes on have been contaminated, and our hopes crushed. The former Chief Justice could have given a better reason than being defensive for the PM over the Leadership Tribunal. Look at how he described the reasons for the removal of Mr Tamata. He said Mr. Tamata was removed for non performance but failed to outline what sort of lack of performance. Did he mismanage the office? If so, what are the examples? Did he not do his constitutional duty? What are some examples? Was he cited for contempt for not allocating lawyers to attend to criminal cases/call-overs like his Predecessors? So what are the reasons at this very crucial moment when the whole nation is looking forward to see justice prevail? Can the former Chief Justice as a learned person justify his actions because you cannot afford to leave the people of PNG guessing? Otherwise, Sir Arnold is just another puppet, executing the PM and his family’s will and the only con

SAM BASIL MP Today is a sad day for PNG as people whom we had hopes on have been contaminated, and our hopes crushed. The former Chief Justice could have given a better reason than being defensive for the PM over the Leadership Tribunal. Look at how he described the reasons for the removal of Mr Tamata. He said Mr. Tamata was removed for non performance but failed to outline what sort of lack of performance. Did he mismanage the office? If so, what are the examples? Did he not do his constitutional duty? What are some examples? Was he cited for contempt for not allocating lawyers to attend to criminal cases/call-overs like his Predecessors? So what are the reasons at this very crucial moment when the whole nation is looking forward to see justice prevail? Can the former Chief Justice as a learned person justify his actions because you cannot afford to leave the people of PNG guessing? Otherwise, Sir Arnold is just another puppet, executing the PM and his family’s will and the onl

MORATA SWAMP Somare is still in control regardless of the changes, both PM's and DPM's endowed authority resides within him as the political event unfolds to this present times.This leaves me to say that Somare (Jnr) has finally completed his next heir to the thrown strategy by destroying Polye-yet not so powerful but is seen as the next PM. Somare did successfully by demoting first Dr. Marrat and Maladina outside of NA party lines and did likewise within NA party lines to first Bart Philemon, Dr.Puka, first as minister and then as DPM, Pruaitch and Teinsten. Polye was the final blow not so to say at an expense of Somare (Senior) long pending referrals, but Polye is now seen as the sacrificial lamb which neither Polye offers for it nor deserves it that way. Polye was strong but remained loyal to Somare whilst in the event failed and or ignored to stand up for his capability when the chances were there. He missed two important political events crosses before him.First, he should

MORATA SWAMP Somare is still in control regardless of the changes, both PM's and DPM's endowed authority resides within him as the political event unfolds to this present times.This leaves me to say that Somare (Jnr) has finally completed his next heir to the thrown strategy by destroying Polye-yet not so powerful but is seen as the next PM. Somare did successfully by demoting first Dr. Marrat and Maladina outside of NA party lines and did likewise within NA party lines to first Bart Philemon, Dr.Puka, first as minister and then as DPM, Pruaitch and Teinsten. Polye was the final blow not so to say at an expense of Somare (Senior) long pending referrals, but Polye is now seen as the sacrificial lamb which neither Polye offers for it nor deserves it that way. Polye was strong but remained loyal to Somare whilst in the event failed and or ignored to stand up for his capability when the chances were there. He missed two important political events crosses before him.First, he sh

National Reports Sir J wants Somare to step down as PM Former prime minister and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has called on Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to step down and allow the law to take its course. He said over the weekend that Sir Michael, as a founding father of the nation and a prominent Melanesian leader, must gracefully allow and uphold the integrity of the judiciary to deliberate without fear and allow the due processes of law to run its course. Sir Julius said he was encouraged by Sir Michael’s willingness to allow due process of law to deliberate. “He will have the opportunity to legally defend and prove his innocence and clear his name before the people and the nation, rather than contest and circumvent the normal system under the Leadership Code law, which in itself implies his possible guilt. “Many peers, including former governor-general Vincent Eri, myself, deputy PM, ministers and MPs have gone through and accepted the outcomes of leadership tribunals.”