PNGBLOGS

ACT-NOW Papua New Guinea's democracy has been further stained with the news the government has refused to accept the community petition against the 'Maladina' amendments which make changes to the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership . The petition, which contains over 20,000 signitures, was presented to five opposition MPs at Parliament House on May 4th when no government representatives were prepared to male themselves available. But since then the petition has languished in the office of the Leader of the Opposition as the the government has refused to accept the petition and the Clerk of Parliament was ordered not to take it. The government seems to have lost all sense of its role as the representatives of the people and to refuse to accept a petition with 20,000 signatures is unbelievably arrogant. The petition is now back in the hands of the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) and its partners, including Transparency International. PNG

ACT-NOW Papua New Guinea's democracy has been further stained with the news the government has refused to accept the community petition against the 'Maladina' amendments which make changes to the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership . The petition, which contains over 20,000 signitures, was presented to five opposition MPs at Parliament House on May 4th when no government representatives were prepared to male themselves available. But since then the petition has languished in the office of the Leader of the Opposition as the the government has refused to accept the petition and the Clerk of Parliament was ordered not to take it. The government seems to have lost all sense of its role as the representatives of the people and to refuse to accept a petition with 20,000 signatures is unbelievably arrogant. The petition is now back in the hands of the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) and its partners, including Transparency Internation

NATIONAL REPORTS PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has appointed his son Angoram MP Arthur Somare the acting Finance and Treasury Minister. Government insiders told The National the prime minister signed the instrument for the appointment of Somare last Friday, and a public announcement on this change is expected this week. This portfolio became vacant after incumbent Patrick Pruaitch was suspended from office because of his referral to a leadership tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office. Pruatich is challenging his referral in court, and the case is pending. There has been a lot of jostling and lobbying for this job since Pruaitch vacated it, and a number of ministers and backbenchers were hoping the job would go to them. But, insiders said, the job had to remain in the Momase region under the Kokopo Agreement that the National Alliance and its coalition partners agreed to after the general elections.  “A number of eligible and qualified candidates have missed out, but that

NATIONAL REPORTS PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has appointed his son Angoram MP Arthur Somare the acting Finance and Treasury Minister. Government insiders told The National the prime minister signed the instrument for the appointment of Somare last Friday, and a public announcement on this change is expected this week. This portfolio became vacant after incumbent Patrick Pruaitch was suspended from office because of his referral to a leadership tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office. Pruatich is challenging his referral in court, and the case is pending. There has been a lot of jostling and lobbying for this job since Pruaitch vacated it, and a number of ministers and backbenchers were hoping the job would go to them. But, insiders said, the job had to remain in the Momase region under the Kokopo Agreement that the National Alliance and its coalition partners agreed to after the general elections.  “A number of eligible and qualified candidates have missed out, b

Post Courier POLICE have uncovered a scandal involving a senior diplomatic staff member at the Chinese embassy in Port Moresby. It involves the issue of diplomatic corps number plates allegedly provided by the embassy staff to its citizens who are not staff members of the Chinese embassy. The police have asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to investigate the staff member from the Chinese Embassy who was alleged to have allowed one of its citizens to drive a vehicle with a DC number plate belonging to the embassy and another one found in a vehicle allegedly used in the attempted assassination of Chinese businessman Jason Tan. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crimes Division, Raphael Huafolo raised this concern in a letter to the Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs operations in January this year. In his letter, ACP Huafolo expressed dissatisfaction on the conduct of the diplomatic staff for allegedly allowing a Chinese national who was not a diplomatic staff member to drive a vehi

Post Courier POLICE have uncovered a scandal involving a senior diplomatic staff member at the Chinese embassy in Port Moresby. It involves the issue of diplomatic corps number plates allegedly provided by the embassy staff to its citizens who are not staff members of the Chinese embassy. The police have asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to investigate the staff member from the Chinese Embassy who was alleged to have allowed one of its citizens to drive a vehicle with a DC number plate belonging to the embassy and another one found in a vehicle allegedly used in the attempted assassination of Chinese businessman Jason Tan. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crimes Division, Raphael Huafolo raised this concern in a letter to the Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs operations in January this year. In his letter, ACP Huafolo expressed dissatisfaction on the conduct of the diplomatic staff for allegedly allowing a Chinese national who was not a diplomatic staff member to drive a

SIR JULIUS CHAN I rise today for a simple purpose. I want to bring a cautionary tale to this debate on environment. I want to bring a cautionary tale to the Parliament, the country of Papua New Guinea and our people on rights to live in clean natural environment and in peace. We often seek to model ourselves after the West. We often seek to model ourselves after countries such as England or America or Australia that we think have become “modern” – that we think have become “developed”. Alright. That is not a bad goal. But sometimes the so-called “advanced” countries can provide us not only with lessons about how we should develop – sometimes they can provide us with lessons about how we should not develop. I have visited America more than most politicians in Papua New Guinea. I have come to know America over the years. And I have come to respect America. This is the country that has been in the forefront of promoting democracy around the world. This is the country that has elected a bl

SIR JULIUS CHAN I rise today for a simple purpose. I want to bring a cautionary tale to this debate on environment. I want to bring a cautionary tale to the Parliament, the country of Papua New Guinea and our people on rights to live in clean natural environment and in peace. We often seek to model ourselves after the West. We often seek to model ourselves after countries such as England or America or Australia that we think have become “modern” – that we think have become “developed”. Alright. That is not a bad goal. But sometimes the so-called “advanced” countries can provide us not only with lessons about how we should develop – sometimes they can provide us with lessons about how we should not develop. I have visited America more than most politicians in Papua New Guinea. I have come to know America over the years. And I have come to respect America. This is the country that has been in the forefront of promoting democracy around the world. This is the country that has elected a

ACTNOW Prime Minister Michael Somare's attempts to rule Papua New Guinea like an African dictator have taken another step forward with an Edict from the Minister for Justice (see attached pdf below) that bans public debate on the Environment Act amendment and orders the police to stop any public gatherings or protests. Over recent months we have seem Somare treat Parliament with contempt. He has bulldozed legislation through the House without any prior consultation, Parliamentary scrutiny or debate. He has ordered the Clerk of Parliament not to accept a public petition with over 20,000 signatures. He has refused to step aside to face the serious criminal charges that should flow from his illegal and criminal conduct in the Moti Affair. Now he has topped all of that with an audacious move to silence any debate about the controversial amendments to the Environment Act. Justice Minister and Attorney General, Ano Pala, has circulated to the media an astonishing edict (see b