PNGBLOGS

PNGBLOGS Opposition Leader Hon. Belden Namah has demanded that the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Inter-government Relations solve the problems at the Wutung Border Post once and for all. Mr. Namah was reacting to claims that 10 youths were locked up by security forces at the boom gate guard house and when they were released, they set fire and burnt down the guard house as well as the boom gate. They were allegedly locked up for consuming Indonesian-made spirits at the Trade Centre and returning rowdy. Access to the Skouw-Wututng Trade Centre remains closed indefinitely. “It was only a short while ago that former Foreign Affairs Minister Don Polye said he was going to do something about the airspace incursion by Indonesian citizens. Nothing has come out of that statement. “I want this scandal-plagued government to know that the problems at Wutung-Skouw Border Post and Trade Centre are far from over, and nor are they likely to go away in the foreseeable future. These problems now nee

PNGBLOGS Opposition Leader Hon. Belden Namah has demanded that the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Inter-government Relations solve the problems at the Wutung Border Post once and for all. Mr. Namah was reacting to claims that 10 youths were locked up by security forces at the boom gate guard house and when they were released, they set fire and burnt down the guard house as well as the boom gate. They were allegedly locked up for consuming Indonesian-made spirits at the Trade Centre and returning rowdy. Access to the Skouw-Wututng Trade Centre remains closed indefinitely. “It was only a short while ago that former Foreign Affairs Minister Don Polye said he was going to do something about the airspace incursion by Indonesian citizens. Nothing has come out of that statement. “I want this scandal-plagued government to know that the problems at Wutung-Skouw Border Post and Trade Centre are far from over, and nor are they likely to go away in the foreseeable future. These problems no

Papua New Guineans woke up yesterday to read that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal could no longer hold office as Acting Prime Minister because he was not a minister. Constitutional lawyer Nemo Yalo pointed out that Section 3 (3) of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act, was specific…the Deputy Prime Minister ceases to hold office if he ceases to be a Minister. We are told that the Prime Minister’s own staff were caught by surprise when we broke the story. Now we are told that Sam Abal is the Minister for Immigration. We are told that when he made the reshuffle recently, he gave away his Works portfolio and took over the Immigration portfolio but that was not announced. Are these people working for the chief executive of this country in their right frame of mind? What do they take the people of this country for? This is not the first time Papua New Guineans have seen the Office of the Prime Minister move into damage control mode to fix what appear to be serious blunders l

Papua New Guineans woke up yesterday to read that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal could no longer hold office as Acting Prime Minister because he was not a minister. Constitutional lawyer Nemo Yalo pointed out that Section 3 (3) of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act, was specific…the Deputy Prime Minister ceases to hold office if he ceases to be a Minister. We are told that the Prime Minister’s own staff were caught by surprise when we broke the story. Now we are told that Sam Abal is the Minister for Immigration. We are told that when he made the reshuffle recently, he gave away his Works portfolio and took over the Immigration portfolio but that was not announced. Are these people working for the chief executive of this country in their right frame of mind? What do they take the people of this country for? This is not the first time Papua New Guineans have seen the Office of the Prime Minister move into damage control mode to fix what appear to be serious blunders

Sydney Morning Herald Editorial   IN RESOURCE-RICH developing nations the noted Oxford economist Paul Collier has observed a corrosive political culture of the ''survival of the fattest''. Democracy notwithstanding, Collier argues that a sudden rush of money into a poor economy so distorts the function of government that it is the local big men - not society as a whole - who reap the rewards. As Papua New Guinea experiences an extraordinary resource-led boom, Canberra will be hoping that Collier will be proved wrong. Particularly as it enters a new political era with the retirement last week of the ailing prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, PNG's enduring political chief. In his 43 unbroken years in Parliament, Somare was dubbed ''The Great Unifier'' for his ability to hold together fractious groups in a society dominated by local and tribal loyalties. And as PNG's founding father and first prime minister, Somare has personified the link between

Sydney Morning Herald Editorial   IN RESOURCE-RICH developing nations the noted Oxford economist Paul Collier has observed a corrosive political culture of the ''survival of the fattest''. Democracy notwithstanding, Collier argues that a sudden rush of money into a poor economy so distorts the function of government that it is the local big men - not society as a whole - who reap the rewards. As Papua New Guinea experiences an extraordinary resource-led boom, Canberra will be hoping that Collier will be proved wrong. Particularly as it enters a new political era with the retirement last week of the ailing prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, PNG's enduring political chief. In his 43 unbroken years in Parliament, Somare was dubbed ''The Great Unifier'' for his ability to hold together fractious groups in a society dominated by local and tribal loyalties. And as PNG's founding father and first prime minister, Somare has personified the link betw

RADIO AUSTRALIA NEWS Sir Michael Somare Credit: ABC Papua New Guinea's government will send a medical team to Singapore to assess the health of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his ability to continue as the country's leader. Sir Michael has been in intensive care in hospital since undergoing heart surgery in April. Earlier this week Sir Michael's son, Arthur Somare, said his father remained in intensive care and was "not in a good enough condition" to discuss retirement, so the family decided to announce his retirement on his behalf. In a statement, Mr Somare said complications from his father's heart surgery "further delayed the anticipated time in which Sir Michael was expected to recover and return to Papua New Guinea". "Therefore, on behalf of (his wife) Lady Veronica, I wish to announce that it is our family's collective desire that Sir Michael be allowed to recover at his own pace and therefore retire," he said.

RADIO AUSTRALIA NEWS Sir Michael Somare Credit: ABC Papua New Guinea's government will send a medical team to Singapore to assess the health of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his ability to continue as the country's leader. Sir Michael has been in intensive care in hospital since undergoing heart surgery in April. Earlier this week Sir Michael's son, Arthur Somare, said his father remained in intensive care and was "not in a good enough condition" to discuss retirement, so the family decided to announce his retirement on his behalf. In a statement, Mr Somare said complications from his father's heart surgery "further delayed the anticipated time in which Sir Michael was expected to recover and return to Papua New Guinea". "Therefore, on behalf of (his wife) Lady Veronica, I wish to announce that it is our family's collective desire that Sir Michael be allowed to recover at his own pace and therefore retire,&quo

Steve Lewis Rich contract ... rural sociologist Dr. Adiel Mbabu.   Source: The Daily Telegraph THEY'RE the Australian government officials you've never heard of - but most of them earn more than Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The combined salaries of a select group of AusAID-funded consultants - who offer advice to developing nations on everything from law and order to farming - totals millions of dollars a year. Kenyan man Adiel Mbabu, who advises Papua New Guinea on farming techniques, is the recipient of one of the richest individual foreign aid contracts, worth $1.089 million.Dr Mbabu's three-year deal - which will earn him just over $350,000 annually tax-free - was awarded after an "open international tender process", according to an AusAID spokeswoman. The Kenyan adviser provides "expert independent support" to the PNG National Agriculture and Livestock Department. He is just one consultant whose work in some of

Steve Lewis Rich contract ... rural sociologist Dr. Adiel Mbabu.   Source: The Daily Telegraph THEY'RE the Australian government officials you've never heard of - but most of them earn more than Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The combined salaries of a select group of AusAID-funded consultants - who offer advice to developing nations on everything from law and order to farming - totals millions of dollars a year. Kenyan man Adiel Mbabu, who advises Papua New Guinea on farming techniques, is the recipient of one of the richest individual foreign aid contracts, worth $1.089 million.Dr Mbabu's three-year deal - which will earn him just over $350,000 annually tax-free - was awarded after an "open international tender process", according to an AusAID spokeswoman. The Kenyan adviser provides "expert independent support" to the PNG National Agriculture and Livestock Department. He is just one consultant whose work in

SOUTH PACIFIC POST The Government was supposed to have appointed two medical doctors to report back within 28 days on the condition of the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare when he went into hospital for medical treatment and also heart surgery on April 21. This is the view of a very senior legal officer in the Solicitor Generals Office. Had that been done, there would not be any confusion today on the way forward in relation to whether or not the office of the PM is vacant and when constitutional provisions should be invoked to elect a new Prime Minister. “The proper and moral thing to do after the PM was admitted to the ICU, was to appoint two medical doctors to report within 28 days, pursuant to Section 6 of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act 2002, and after three months, they could then certify that the PM is medically unfit to return to office,” the lawyer said. “That is to comply with the law, instead of allowing the PM to continue to hold the substantive post

SOUTH PACIFIC POST The Government was supposed to have appointed two medical doctors to report back within 28 days on the condition of the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare when he went into hospital for medical treatment and also heart surgery on April 21. This is the view of a very senior legal officer in the Solicitor Generals Office. Had that been done, there would not be any confusion today on the way forward in relation to whether or not the office of the PM is vacant and when constitutional provisions should be invoked to elect a new Prime Minister. “The proper and moral thing to do after the PM was admitted to the ICU, was to appoint two medical doctors to report within 28 days, pursuant to Section 6 of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act 2002, and after three months, they could then certify that the PM is medically unfit to return to office,” the lawyer said. “That is to comply with the law, instead of allowing the PM to continue to hold the substantive p

Jonathan Pearlman Papua New Guinea's veteran leader and "father of independence", Sir Michael Somare, has resigned as prime minister because of poor health. Sir Michael, 75, was leader when his nation gained independence from Australia in 1975 and has led for a total of more than 16 years. The so-called Grand Chief of PNG politics has been prime minister three times and began his final term in 2002. He is recovering from heart surgery in Singapore earlier this year. Arthur Somare, the leader's son, announced the resignation at a press conference in Port Moresby. "It is our wish that Sir Michael will now pursue a life in retirement after nearly 50 years of active politics due to medical reasons and the uncertainty of the recovery period," he said. "We believe PNG should have a level of certainty with regard to political stability and leadership well into the future." Sir Michael, who oversaw the transition to independence, has had a profound impact

Jonathan Pearlman Papua New Guinea's veteran leader and "father of independence", Sir Michael Somare, has resigned as prime minister because of poor health. Sir Michael, 75, was leader when his nation gained independence from Australia in 1975 and has led for a total of more than 16 years. The so-called Grand Chief of PNG politics has been prime minister three times and began his final term in 2002. He is recovering from heart surgery in Singapore earlier this year. Arthur Somare, the leader's son, announced the resignation at a press conference in Port Moresby. "It is our wish that Sir Michael will now pursue a life in retirement after nearly 50 years of active politics due to medical reasons and the uncertainty of the recovery period," he said. "We believe PNG should have a level of certainty with regard to political stability and leadership well into the future." Sir Michael, who oversaw the transition to independence, has had a profound i

AFP A large green tree-dwelling frog, was among 1000 new spieces found in PNG (AFP/WWF/File) A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a round-headed dolphin are among more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, environment group WWF said. Scientists made the astounding discoveries, which also included a river shark and dozens of butterflies, on New Guinea at a rate of two a week from 1998 to 2008, WWF said in a new report on the island's natural habitat. "This report shows that New Guinea's forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world," said WWF's Western Melanesia programme representative, Neil Stronach. New Guinea -- divided between the Indonesian province of Papua in the west and Papua New Guinea to the east -- has one of the world's least spoilt and most stunning ecosystems. Its rainforests are the third biggest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo, and, while the island c

AFP A large green tree-dwelling frog, was among 1000 new spieces found in PNG (AFP/WWF/File) A frog with fangs, a blind snake and a round-headed dolphin are among more than 1,000 new species recently found on the incredible Melanesian island of New Guinea, environment group WWF said. Scientists made the astounding discoveries, which also included a river shark and dozens of butterflies, on New Guinea at a rate of two a week from 1998 to 2008, WWF said in a new report on the island's natural habitat. "This report shows that New Guinea's forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world," said WWF's Western Melanesia programme representative, Neil Stronach. New Guinea -- divided between the Indonesian province of Papua in the west and Papua New Guinea to the east -- has one of the world's least spoilt and most stunning ecosystems. Its rainforests are the third biggest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo, and, while t

Brian Thomson PAPUA New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has accused Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and its subsidiary Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) of being behind the PNG military's bloody suppression of Bougainville rebels opposed to the company's Panguna copper mine. An affidavit written by Sir Michael when he was Opposition Leader in 2001 - and never made public - alleges that Rio played an active role in military operations that ultimately led to a civil war and blockade of the island in which 15,000 people died between 1989 and 1997. ''Because of Rio Tinto's financial influence in PNG, the company controlled the government,'' Mr Somare's affidavit states. Advertisement: Story continues below ''The government of PNG followed Rio Tinto's instructions and carried out its requests … BCL was directly involved in the military operations on Bougainville, and it played an active role. BCL supplied helicopters, which were

Brian Thomson PAPUA New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has accused Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and its subsidiary Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) of being behind the PNG military's bloody suppression of Bougainville rebels opposed to the company's Panguna copper mine. An affidavit written by Sir Michael when he was Opposition Leader in 2001 - and never made public - alleges that Rio played an active role in military operations that ultimately led to a civil war and blockade of the island in which 15,000 people died between 1989 and 1997. ''Because of Rio Tinto's financial influence in PNG, the company controlled the government,'' Mr Somare's affidavit states. Advertisement: Story continues below ''The government of PNG followed Rio Tinto's instructions and carried out its requests … BCL was directly involved in the military operations on Bougainville, and it played an active role. BCL supplied helicopters, which

West Enga Republic The country is now at a cross-road, a cross-road to a prosperous future or a path that will lead to the inhalation of this promising country. In the weeks ahead we will see what the leadership of Sam Abal is made of. We know clearly that Sir Michael Somare is not coming back to take charge of the leadership. Sam Abal has been thrown no life line as he has been made just like Daniel thrown into the lions den. He has a battle looming on four fronts, first he has to deal with the fact that his own party sacked him after his actions to terminate the services of Don Polye and William Duma, if that is not enough, URP a party that has backed National Alliance for the last 8 years is now cracked with leadership of the party undecided if they want to stay as a partner in this government. Thirdly he has an issue with Peter O'Niel's PNC party. It stems from the removal of PNC's Finance portfolio to Patrick Pruaitch, will this also be a sticking point come the next e

West Enga Republic The country is now at a cross-road, a cross-road to a prosperous future or a path that will lead to the inhalation of this promising country. In the weeks ahead we will see what the leadership of Sam Abal is made of. We know clearly that Sir Michael Somare is not coming back to take charge of the leadership. Sam Abal has been thrown no life line as he has been made just like Daniel thrown into the lions den. He has a battle looming on four fronts, first he has to deal with the fact that his own party sacked him after his actions to terminate the services of Don Polye and William Duma, if that is not enough, URP a party that has backed National Alliance for the last 8 years is now cracked with leadership of the party undecided if they want to stay as a partner in this government. Thirdly he has an issue with Peter O'Niel's PNC party. It stems from the removal of PNC's Finance portfolio to Patrick Pruaitch, will this also be a sticking point come the nex