PNGBLOGS

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

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 shor

ABC RADIO Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's leadership is coming under direct threat from within his ruling National Alliance party. Amid a looming no-confidence vote, the ruling National Alliance party is reportedly split. The party's Deputy Leader of PNG's Highlands region and Transport Minister Don Polye says he wants to wrestle the leadership from Sir Michael. He says he will put the challenge during a party meeting next week. ''Yes I am. I am a contestant. I have talked to the Prime Minister on several occasions and also made my intention known to other members of the party''. PNG's Opposition party says it will make an attempt to move a motion for a no confidence vote later next week. This political manoeuvring after a Supreme Court rule PNG's Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and candidates was unconstitutional, allowing MP to move freely and vote against him Prime minister in a no confidence vote.

ABC RADIO Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's leadership is coming under direct threat from within his ruling National Alliance party. Amid a looming no-confidence vote, the ruling National Alliance party is reportedly split. The party's Deputy Leader of PNG's Highlands region and Transport Minister Don Polye says he wants to wrestle the leadership from Sir Michael. He says he will put the challenge during a party meeting next week. ''Yes I am. I am a contestant. I have talked to the Prime Minister on several occasions and also made my intention known to other members of the party''. PNG's Opposition party says it will make an attempt to move a motion for a no confidence vote later next week. This political manoeuvring after a Supreme Court rule PNG's Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and candidates was unconstitutional, allowing MP to move freely and vote against him Prime minister in a no confidence vo

China News Agency Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Singapore authorities have recently wired US$1 million from the account of Ching Chi-ju to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently, the latest installment in the return of funds Ching and another broker embezzled in a diplomatic fraud scandal. The Singapore High Court ruled in May that Ching, a self-styled diplomatic broker, should return the US$29.8 million he and accomplice Wu Shih-tsai received from the ministry in September 2006 to pave the way to establish diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that so far, the ministry has retrieved US$5.5 million of the total, with the US$1 million sum the first to be returned from Ching's assets since the Singapore High Court's verdict. The ministry has said previously that it expects to retrieve roughly US$10.52 million of the embezzled sum. After Ching and Wu told former Foreign Minister James Huang and former Vice Premier Chiou I-jen in 2006 that they

China News Agency Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Singapore authorities have recently wired US$1 million from the account of Ching Chi-ju to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently, the latest installment in the return of funds Ching and another broker embezzled in a diplomatic fraud scandal. The Singapore High Court ruled in May that Ching, a self-styled diplomatic broker, should return the US$29.8 million he and accomplice Wu Shih-tsai received from the ministry in September 2006 to pave the way to establish diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that so far, the ministry has retrieved US$5.5 million of the total, with the US$1 million sum the first to be returned from Ching's assets since the Singapore High Court's verdict. The ministry has said previously that it expects to retrieve roughly US$10.52 million of the embezzled sum. After Ching and Wu told former Foreign Minister James Huang and former Vice Premier Chiou I-jen in 200

PETER BARTER Few people that have ever visited PNG doubt the tremendous tourism potential PNG has to offer so many varied interests wether it be trekking, cultural, art, orchids, birding, diving, WW2 or just relaxing in unspoilt tropical splendour. Up until the turn of the century there were positive signs that tourism would continue to prosper providing PNG with a renewable resource that was sustainable. More recently the visitor arrival figures issued by the Tourism Promotion Authority indicated that PNG had one of the fastest growing tourist industries in the South Pacific region and constant positive media reports indicated a healthy growth. Nothing could have been further from the truth, the tourism industry in PNG generally has declined by more than 50 per cent over the past few years. I refer to “bonafide” tourists, not visitor arrivals which in real terms include all types of visitors to PNG. No one disputes there are more people arriving in PNG, the reality is most are not tou

PETER BARTER Few people that have ever visited PNG doubt the tremendous tourism potential PNG has to offer so many varied interests wether it be trekking, cultural, art, orchids, birding, diving, WW2 or just relaxing in unspoilt tropical splendour. Up until the turn of the century there were positive signs that tourism would continue to prosper providing PNG with a renewable resource that was sustainable. More recently the visitor arrival figures issued by the Tourism Promotion Authority indicated that PNG had one of the fastest growing tourist industries in the South Pacific region and constant positive media reports indicated a healthy growth. Nothing could have been further from the truth, the tourism industry in PNG generally has declined by more than 50 per cent over the past few years. I refer to “bonafide” tourists, not visitor arrivals which in real terms include all types of visitors to PNG. No one disputes there are more people arriving in PNG, the reality is most are no

Joseph S. Karl What’s constitutes a free man to change his will unless his mindset is still tangled to the past and is still locked to what was like 50 years ago when his ancestors were bare foot, bare chest and were the slave labourers who did all the work in bringing up the economy of the territories that were once German New Guinea and British Papua. Even in this modern age when technology has outwitted and levelled the way people think and do business, some of our folks mostly highlanders are still living in the past and a still sleeping and unless they have a awakening and wake up and start looking to themselves as leaders they then can change the direction of history otherwise my topic about this piece says it, Cargo boys will always be cargo boys and to the Highlands MPs be good slave labourers while you are at it, because you cant think for yourself, you are so worried about what you will only eat tonight. With the looming VONC (Vote of No Confidence) coming next week or later

Joseph S. Karl What’s constitutes a free man to change his will unless his mindset is still tangled to the past and is still locked to what was like 50 years ago when his ancestors were bare foot, bare chest and were the slave labourers who did all the work in bringing up the economy of the territories that were once German New Guinea and British Papua. Even in this modern age when technology has outwitted and levelled the way people think and do business, some of our folks mostly highlanders are still living in the past and a still sleeping and unless they have a awakening and wake up and start looking to themselves as leaders they then can change the direction of history otherwise my topic about this piece says it, Cargo boys will always be cargo boys and to the Highlands MPs be good slave labourers while you are at it, because you cant think for yourself, you are so worried about what you will only eat tonight. With the looming VONC (Vote of No Confidence) coming next week or la

SOUTH PACIFIC POST THE Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is alleged to have offered a substantial amount of money to have disgruntled landowners drop their court challenge which has stopped development of the deep sea tailing placement project in Basamuk by Ramu NiCo Limited (MCC). The offer is alleged to have been made to Sama Mellambo, who is one of the plaintiffs in the court case, during a closed door meeting held with Sir Michael at the Madang Resort on Monday morning. Mr Mellambo when responding to questions put to him by this paper yesterday confirmed that an offer had been made to him for K40 million to withdraw the case. He said he had received a call while he was at home, from a person whom he did not name, and was told that the Prime Minister was in town and wanted to meet with him. He said a vehicle was sent to his family home and because there was nobody else to go with him, as a witness and for court purposes should the need arise, had opted to take his wife along with hi

SOUTH PACIFIC POST THE Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is alleged to have offered a substantial amount of money to have disgruntled landowners drop their court challenge which has stopped development of the deep sea tailing placement project in Basamuk by Ramu NiCo Limited (MCC). The offer is alleged to have been made to Sama Mellambo, who is one of the plaintiffs in the court case, during a closed door meeting held with Sir Michael at the Madang Resort on Monday morning. Mr Mellambo when responding to questions put to him by this paper yesterday confirmed that an offer had been made to him for K40 million to withdraw the case. He said he had received a call while he was at home, from a person whom he did not name, and was told that the Prime Minister was in town and wanted to meet with him. He said a vehicle was sent to his family home and because there was nobody else to go with him, as a witness and for court purposes should the need arise, had opted to take his wife along w

STEVE LEWIS AUSTRALIA'S $4 billion foreign aid program is plagued by fraud, with 134 "active" investigations into possible corruption in 16 countries. Most cases of fraud are in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, who jointly receive $740 million a year in Australian aid. A Herald Sun investigation can reveal that at least $100,000 in taxpayers' money has been "misused" - and possibly siphoned off - on one project in PNG's overflowing jails. Millions of dollars are being illegally used by corrupt officials, with AusAID revealing 68 cases of "alleged, suspected or detected" fraud investigated in the past year. Adding to the problems for AusAID, its head Peter Baxter conceded that many of the countries receiving Australian money didn't have sufficient legal and police grunt to properly pursue The peak aid agency - which will see its budget double to nearly $8 billion by 2015 - would not comment on particular cases of fraud while investigations co

STEVE LEWIS AUSTRALIA'S $4 billion foreign aid program is plagued by fraud, with 134 "active" investigations into possible corruption in 16 countries. Most cases of fraud are in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, who jointly receive $740 million a year in Australian aid. A Herald Sun investigation can reveal that at least $100,000 in taxpayers' money has been "misused" - and possibly siphoned off - on one project in PNG's overflowing jails. Millions of dollars are being illegally used by corrupt officials, with AusAID revealing 68 cases of "alleged, suspected or detected" fraud investigated in the past year. Adding to the problems for AusAID, its head Peter Baxter conceded that many of the countries receiving Australian money didn't have sufficient legal and police grunt to properly pursue The peak aid agency - which will see its budget double to nearly $8 billion by 2015 - would not comment on particular cases of fraud while inves

LIAM FOX A judge in Papua New Guinea has slammed a Malaysian logging giant for using the courts to threaten and harass a local newspaper. In 2006 logging giant Rimbunan Hijau (RH) filed a defamation suit against the Post Courier after it re-printed an article from the Australian newspaper titled The rape of PNG forests. Several other motions followed, but yesterday Judge Ambeng Kandakasi dismissed them all, saying they were an abuse of the court process. He said it was clear RH had used the proceedings to threaten, intimidate and harass the newspaper and force it into unnecessary expenses. The judge said RH had used the court to "prevent and distract" the Post Courier from reporting on its conduct in the forestry industry. He also ordered one of RH's lawyers, Michael Wilson, be investigated for perjury after filing conflicting affidavits. Mr Wilson denies committing perjury. RH has been unavailable for comment. It owns PNG's other daily newspaper, The National, that h

LIAM FOX A judge in Papua New Guinea has slammed a Malaysian logging giant for using the courts to threaten and harass a local newspaper. In 2006 logging giant Rimbunan Hijau (RH) filed a defamation suit against the Post Courier after it re-printed an article from the Australian newspaper titled The rape of PNG forests. Several other motions followed, but yesterday Judge Ambeng Kandakasi dismissed them all, saying they were an abuse of the court process. He said it was clear RH had used the proceedings to threaten, intimidate and harass the newspaper and force it into unnecessary expenses. The judge said RH had used the court to "prevent and distract" the Post Courier from reporting on its conduct in the forestry industry. He also ordered one of RH's lawyers, Michael Wilson, be investigated for perjury after filing conflicting affidavits. Mr Wilson denies committing perjury. RH has been unavailable for comment. It owns PNG's other daily newspaper, The

Editorial THE judiciary has spoken loudly and clearly. Parts of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates have been found to be in clear breach of the Constitution and have been rendered obsolete. Parliament passed the law with its offending provisions almost unanimously in 2001 when the then government of Sir Mekere Morauta was in executive power. The current Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, famously absented himself from voting on this law and then benefited almost exclusively from its application in the last eight years. A further amendment was made to the law under the Somare regime in 2003 so, really, the one leader cannot blame the other for introducing legislation that had run amok of the Constitution. Both must bear some blameThe question that now begs asking is whether the judiciary has spoken too loudly, whether it had intruded into an area of lawmaking that is the precinct of the legislature alone; whether it had, in effect, stayed the hand of P

Editorial THE judiciary has spoken loudly and clearly. Parts of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates have been found to be in clear breach of the Constitution and have been rendered obsolete. Parliament passed the law with its offending provisions almost unanimously in 2001 when the then government of Sir Mekere Morauta was in executive power. The current Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, famously absented himself from voting on this law and then benefited almost exclusively from its application in the last eight years. A further amendment was made to the law under the Somare regime in 2003 so, really, the one leader cannot blame the other for introducing legislation that had run amok of the Constitution. Both must bear some blameThe question that now begs asking is whether the judiciary has spoken too loudly, whether it had intruded into an area of lawmaking that is the precinct of the legislature alone; whether it had, in effect, stayed the hand of

OSEAH PHILEMON In the next 24 months, the people of Papua New Guinea will be heading to the ballot boxesd to elect their MPs and, of course, a new government. In the last two elections, they voted for a government, headed by the founding Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, and his National Alliance Party. Now the government of Grand Chief Somare is sailing into stormy seas mid-way through its second five-year term as it prepares for the 2012 general election. Somare has indicated he wants to quit politics and take a rest after 40 years in national politics. His health is not at its best and that may be part of the reason he is wanting to retire from a job he knows more about than any other politician in Papua New Guinea. In the years since independence in 1975, Somare did say from time to time that he would retire from politics, only to see him emerge again with the help of his party to lead it to the next election, and ultimately, in government. CONTROVERSIES This time no one knows ex

OSEAH PHILEMON In the next 24 months, the people of Papua New Guinea will be heading to the ballot boxesd to elect their MPs and, of course, a new government. In the last two elections, they voted for a government, headed by the founding Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, and his National Alliance Party. Now the government of Grand Chief Somare is sailing into stormy seas mid-way through its second five-year term as it prepares for the 2012 general election. Somare has indicated he wants to quit politics and take a rest after 40 years in national politics. His health is not at its best and that may be part of the reason he is wanting to retire from a job he knows more about than any other politician in Papua New Guinea. In the years since independence in 1975, Somare did say from time to time that he would retire from politics, only to see him emerge again with the help of his party to lead it to the next election, and ultimately, in government. CONTROVERSIES This time no one kno