PNGBLOGS

by PAUL FLANAGAN via PNG ECONOMICS BLOG The PNG Treasury released the 2017 Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) last night (31 July)- see  here . This is an extraordinary document .  Amongst the detail is a damning insight into O’Neill’s continuing mismanagement of the budget. There is little doubt that the original 2017 budget was fiscally fraudulent (see here  and here ). The PNG Treasury document indicates, in summary: The budget deficit is over K1 billion larger than forecast only 7 months ago.  The PNG Treasury document states the deficit has increased from K1,9bn to K2.8bn. This will continue the pattern of the O’Neill government having consistently the largest budget deficits of any government in PNG’s history – see here . And the actual deficit forecast is actually over K3bn when including the blowout in interest costs for all the public debt from K1.3bn to K1.5bn. This is the 3rd highest item of government expenditure – a fact hid

by PAUL RUNDUWALI You may be wondering why the counting in Southern Highlands Province is so slow except for the Ialibu-Pangia Open where O'Neill manipulated and orchestrated the voting and counting and declared himself as a winner in a dictatorship style. The reason is, it is Mr.O'Neills ploy to get the seats in SHP by force and declare his PNC Candidates. At this time, O'Neill critically needs the numbers to form the government, failure to master the numbers means, he will loose the PMs post and ends up in the opposition and thus, it is evitable that he will further spend another luxury life in  Bomana.  For this reason, O’Neill is using delay tactic in a pursuit to make all SHP seats for PNC  candidates and get the number needed to form the government.  According to insiders (names withheld)  in ,Mendi, Southern Highlands Province,   large sum of money from the ruling party (PNC)  is being brought into the province, possibly to bribe counti

by PAUL FLANAGAN  Statistical indicators suggest the O’Neill government has used its power of incumbency to ‘cook the books’ in its favour. Comparing the 2017 electoral roll with population estimates by electorate based on the 2011 census, the Electoral Commission has created nearly 300,000 “ghost voters” in PNC controlled electorates.  This is 5,682 “ghost voters” for every PNC sitting member. This is over 10 times the number of “ghost voters” for non-PNC sitting members. PNC members are also being declared elected based on “mathematical impossibilities”. PNG’s vibrant democracy, including its extraordinary diversity and combination of individual choice and clan loyalties, may still be able to overcome such electoral bias in favour of O’Neill. This may depend on the Biblical and moral choices about to be made by new Independent members. May they choose wisely and morally, not just chasing the money politics of the PNC and its likely manipulation of the election, when

by TONY SULUPIN A PNC candidate running for Lagaip Porgera open, Nathan Piari must be arrested and criminally charged for discharging firearms at the polling venue. On the 08th of July, the polling was to take place at the Kanak council Ward in the Pilikambi LLG. The four clans of Kaimul tribe unanimously agreed that due to irregularities in the common roll, they wanted to share the ballot papers among  the four clans. After signed papers were distributed by the presiding officer according to their wish, a feud erupted between Mr Piari's supporter and another within the Walyage clan over their share of 561 papers. The suspect who was armed with a pistol fired several shots at the voters injuring one elderly woman on her leg. This angered Ambai and Kulip voters hence retaliated with stones, sticks and other missiles thrown at Piari's supporters A stand-of developed into an horrific situation which saw few houses were burned down by an angry mob together with an old

by BRYAN KRAMER I was informed when the same question was put to Prime Minister Peter O'Neill he responded more than 50. On 21st April 2017 I published part 2 of an article "Will Peter O'Neill return as PM" Where I explained that PNC were likely to return upto 15 to 20 of the 53 sitting Members of Parliament following the elections. "This will be largely due to those members winning on their own popularity and having actually delivered some form of services to their electorates. Add to this the fact they will also be heavily financed by their party (PNC)" "There will also be some PNC members who may retain their seat relying on wide scale bribery and vote rigging." You may click on the link below to read full the article. https://www.facebook.com/kramerreportpng/posts/996808673788772 So far two PNC candidates have been returned are the Members for Moresby South Open Justin Tkatchenko and Tari-Pori Open James Marape. Now I expecte

by PAUL FLANAGAN The resignation of PNG’s Election Advisory Committee is a devastating blow to the credibility of PNG’s 2017 election. The failure to provide this high level constitutional Committee with factual electoral information suggests deliberate acts to hide the truth (the EAC is a constitutional committee with the Chief Ombudsman, representative of Transparency International, and  a law lecturer from the University of PNG). In its resignation letter, the committee indicates it was “prevented from performing its constitutional duties and roles” because it has not been provided with “baseline data and information nor have we been party to regular reporting”. Detailed information is required to unpack possible deliberate ‘cooking the books’ from the general chaos and mismanagement of PNG’s 2017 election. At an aggregate level, initial statistical analysis indicates that no clear pattern of bias can be determined at an electorate by electorate level (see b

by JAMES MAKOP Less than a week ago I posted an article regarding the deterioration of democracy as we know it in our country. Now the results of the elections are slowly but surely bearing testimony to foul play, rigging and indicative of sinister motives at play. Fellow citizens, we cannot ask for more evidence that what we have now. 1. The Rule of Law no longer applies to Peter O'Neill and his cronies. 2. People who are in positions to make a difference for the better have sold their souls for the proverbial 30 pieces of silver. That includes the Electoral Commissioner, the Police Commissioner, the election managers and returning officers and people down the rank and file. 3. Isaac Lupari had usurped the functions of the election advisory committee and illegally orchestrated the biggest denial of the right to choose elected representatives by citizens. 4. The economy is dysfunctional. Our foreign missions are being boarded up and shut down due non payment of

by LUDWIG MASI The resignation of the Elections Advisory Committee now reveals how the PNG National Elections 2017 were adulterated and corrupted. The reasons for the resignation of this committee comprised of eminent persons might be revealed later, but what is of most concern is the timing of their decision. These are learned people with standing in the society and their decision would have been a well-thought one. The decision decimates any doubt that the PNG elections were manipulated to favour the ruling party. The Electoral Commission of Papua New Guinea is an independent constitutional body established by the Constitution. The constitutional law defines its operations and functions. An independent body comprised of the Prime Minister (or his nominee), the Opposition Leader, Parliamentary Appointments Committee Chairman and the Public Service Commission Chairman appoints the Electoral Commissioner. It is a constitutional body that receives its funding allocation by Parliam

PNG I-CENTRAL Minister for State Enterprises, William Duma, was suspended from government in February this year, after it was alleged he had a beneficial interest in a lucrative land deal made with Kumul Consolidated Holdings. [1] Peter O’Neill ordered an administrative inquiry into the affair, led by John Griffin QC. [2] In a PNGi exclusive, we reveal the testimony of a senior Paga Hill Development Company (PHDC) executive, who claims the suspended Minister will potentially make a significant financial windfall from the proposed K3 billion luxury development at Paga Hill – which is said to include a 6-star hotel and potentially a casino. The high level executive claims a confidential cooperation agreement was entered into with William Duma during June 2015, by PHDC. It will see land acquired by Duma at Paga Hill, form part of this major property development – known as the Paga Hill Estate – slated to host APEC 2018. [3] PNGi will chart how William Duma came to obtain land at Paga