PNGBLOGS

ABC REPORTS Sir Morauta and Sir Puka at March Girls Resort, Ready to take on Somare Papua New Guinea's government is facing another threat to its survival, this time from the deputy prime minister, who has joined forces with opposition MPs. PNG prime minister Sir Michael Somare was expected to face a challenge for the leadership of his party from transport minister Don Polye at a meeting today but another challenger has arisen. While the meeting was underway, his deputy prime minister Puka Temu was holding discussions with opposition MPs at a resort outside Port Moresby. Several other government ministers were there with him. Together they have resolved to move a motion of no confidence against Sir Michael when parliament resumes tomorrow. If that happens, a vote can take place in a week's time. The new group say they have the numbers to win a vote and form a new government. Update 2 *************************** Papua New Guinea’s government has been split by the defection of fo

ABC REPORTS Sir Morauta and Sir Puka at March Girls Resort, Ready to take on Somare Papua New Guinea's government is facing another threat to its survival, this time from the deputy prime minister, who has joined forces with opposition MPs. PNG prime minister Sir Michael Somare was expected to face a challenge for the leadership of his party from transport minister Don Polye at a meeting today but another challenger has arisen. While the meeting was underway, his deputy prime minister Puka Temu was holding discussions with opposition MPs at a resort outside Port Moresby. Several other government ministers were there with him. Together they have resolved to move a motion of no confidence against Sir Michael when parliament resumes tomorrow. If that happens, a vote can take place in a week's time. The new group say they have the numbers to win a vote and form a new government. Update 2 *************************** Papua New Guinea’s government has been split b

AAP Papua New Guinea's veteran leader Michael Somare is facing a party leadership challenge that he will not contest, his spokeswoman says, in a move which could see him pushed from power. Rival bids by Transport Minister Don Polye and Deputy Prime Minister Puka Temu to lead the ruling National Alliance will be discussed at a party meeting later on Monday, and Mr Somare's spokeswoman says he is unlikely to fight them. "He's the one who's introduced democracy to PNG so I think he'll go with what other members of his party want," the spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse of Mr Somare. "He's not putting up a particular person at this stage. He'll just support the party." All year, local newspapers have reported rumours that PNG's rugged Highlands region, led by Mr Polye, has been moving to oust Mr Somare and his supporters. Meanwhile, the opposition, headed by Mekere Morauta, has been running a campaign urging disgruntled parliamentarian

AAP Papua New Guinea's veteran leader Michael Somare is facing a party leadership challenge that he will not contest, his spokeswoman says, in a move which could see him pushed from power. Rival bids by Transport Minister Don Polye and Deputy Prime Minister Puka Temu to lead the ruling National Alliance will be discussed at a party meeting later on Monday, and Mr Somare's spokeswoman says he is unlikely to fight them. "He's the one who's introduced democracy to PNG so I think he'll go with what other members of his party want," the spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse of Mr Somare. "He's not putting up a particular person at this stage. He'll just support the party." All year, local newspapers have reported rumours that PNG's rugged Highlands region, led by Mr Polye, has been moving to oust Mr Somare and his supporters. Meanwhile, the opposition, headed by Mekere Morauta, has been running a campaign urging disgruntled parl

FOCUS ARTICLE It’s two years until the next National Elections, but the political aspirants are already planning their moves. In the meantime, the long-forecast Supreme Court ruling, which has deemed aspects of the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties (OLIPPAC) unconstitutional, has set the cat among the pigeons, perhaps strengthening Parliamentary control over executive government, while enabling MPs to resume their pastime of orchestrating votes of no-confidence in the prevailing leadership. The Opposition lists a string of failures and abuses by the incumbent leadership, which retorts that it has provided the country eight years of stability and economic growth. The vote of no-confidence process in the past has largely had little relationship with ‘confidence’ or otherwise, and more to do with opportunism. Parliament has a fundamental role in providing checks on the executive government, and, where necessary, removing one that is deficient. No-one wants a return to multiple

FOCUS ARTICLE It’s two years until the next National Elections, but the political aspirants are already planning their moves. In the meantime, the long-forecast Supreme Court ruling, which has deemed aspects of the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties (OLIPPAC) unconstitutional, has set the cat among the pigeons, perhaps strengthening Parliamentary control over executive government, while enabling MPs to resume their pastime of orchestrating votes of no-confidence in the prevailing leadership. The Opposition lists a string of failures and abuses by the incumbent leadership, which retorts that it has provided the country eight years of stability and economic growth. The vote of no-confidence process in the past has largely had little relationship with ‘confidence’ or otherwise, and more to do with opportunism. Parliament has a fundamental role in providing checks on the executive government, and, where necessary, removing one that is deficient. No-one wants a return to multip

Australia Network News The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare's leadership is expected to come under direct threat as early as today. There have been rumblings in PNG that Sir Michael will be asked to step down as leader of the National Alliance Party and eventually as prime minister. The Deputy Leader of PNG's Highlands region and Transport Minister Don Polye has confirmed to Radio Australia that he wants to wrestle the leadership from Sir Michael. He's told Firmin Nanol, he will put the challenge directly to a party meeting. "Yes, I am a contestant and I have talked to the PM on several occasions and have made my intentions known to other members of the party," he said.

Australia Network News The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare's leadership is expected to come under direct threat as early as today. There have been rumblings in PNG that Sir Michael will be asked to step down as leader of the National Alliance Party and eventually as prime minister. The Deputy Leader of PNG's Highlands region and Transport Minister Don Polye has confirmed to Radio Australia that he wants to wrestle the leadership from Sir Michael. He's told Firmin Nanol, he will put the challenge directly to a party meeting. "Yes, I am a contestant and I have talked to the PM on several occasions and have made my intentions known to other members of the party," he said.

AFP Former Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti will be tried in Australia for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in Vanuatu after an appeals court Friday overturned a freeze on the case. Fiji-born Moti won a permanent stay on the case in December, after a Brisbane Supreme Court ruling that Australian police payments to the alleged victim and her family "brought the administration of justice into disrepute". The judge said the police payments, made to compensate the victim's family while she made her case against Moti, raised serious questions about Australia's justice system and were an "affront to the public conscience". But the Court of Criminal Appeal Friday overturned the stay, finding the payments were not made in bad faith or without authority, and that the charges against Moti -- an Australian citizen -- were too serious to be abandoned. "This was a different case from the ordinary example of an Australian tourist on a short trip abr