PNGBLOGS

The O’Neil Cabinet’s collective decision to suspend the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia is part of the Government’s grand design to test Papua New Guinea’s judicial system. It was done deliberately knowing O’Neil, his deputy Namah or cabinet ministers would be charged for one reason or another by drawing the ire of the judicial system and even the entire nation. If the decision from a full bench of 5 national court judges on December 9th is not in their favour, they will appeal the judgment based on the grounds of impartiality of the 5 judges given their dealing with the East Sepik Provincial Government Court Reference and the current impasse. That appeal will buy the O’Neil Government enough time for the courts to go into recess till February of 2012 shortly after which time writs for the next general elections would be issued rendering the case against the legitimacy of the O’Neil Government under the carpet. Bart Philemon once said the Somare Government was “wheeling and dealing by h

The O’Neil Cabinet’s collective decision to suspend the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia is part of the Government’s grand design to test Papua New Guinea’s judicial system. It was done deliberately knowing O’Neil, his deputy Namah or cabinet ministers would be charged for one reason or another by drawing the ire of the judicial system and even the entire nation. If the decision from a full bench of 5 national court judges on December 9th is not in their favour, they will appeal the judgment based on the grounds of impartiality of the 5 judges given their dealing with the East Sepik Provincial Government Court Reference and the current impasse. That appeal will buy the O’Neil Government enough time for the courts to go into recess till February of 2012 shortly after which time writs for the next general elections would be issued rendering the case against the legitimacy of the O’Neil Government under the carpet. Bart Philemon once said the Somare Government was “wheeling and dealin

LAST week, the attention of Papua New Guinea riveted on the National Executive Council when it decided to suspend the chief justice. Many, including this newspaper, cried foul and saw the decision for what it was – a serious incursion into the independence of the third arm of government –the judiciary. That decision was stayed by Justice Bernard Sakora last Friday sitting as a one-man Supreme Court and the NEC on Monday rescinded it. This week, the attention is focused on the courts. How will it punish those who have incurred its contempt? How will it deal with the special Supreme Court reference before it? And, especially, whether the chief justice will allow himself to continue to chair the bench when it brings down its decision on Dec 9. The reference was filed on Aug 5. All matters relevant to the case were dealt with and arguments were presented by counsel for the various parties by Oct 28 when the Supreme Court adjourned to Dec 9 for the crucial decision to be handed down. Since

LAST week, the attention of Papua New Guinea riveted on the National Executive Council when it decided to suspend the chief justice. Many, including this newspaper, cried foul and saw the decision for what it was – a serious incursion into the independence of the third arm of government –the judiciary. That decision was stayed by Justice Bernard Sakora last Friday sitting as a one-man Supreme Court and the NEC on Monday rescinded it. This week, the attention is focused on the courts. How will it punish those who have incurred its contempt? How will it deal with the special Supreme Court reference before it? And, especially, whether the chief justice will allow himself to continue to chair the bench when it brings down its decision on Dec 9. The reference was filed on Aug 5. All matters relevant to the case were dealt with and arguments were presented by counsel for the various parties by Oct 28 when the Supreme Court adjourned to Dec 9 for the crucial decision to be handed down.

ELECTION years seem to have a profound effect on enticing some of our brightest and best professionals from the public service. These men, many of them seasoned veterans and quite a few on the cusp of attaining top management and administrative roles in their careers, choose to enter the electoral fray with idealistic intentions. One can say with a certain degree of regret that while there have been some success stories from these five-yearly exercises in democracy, the truth is that elections have served to ravage the cream of the civil service more than it has produced triumphs. In many cases, this is to the detriment of the department or body which the individual has opted to leave. It deprives the public service of talented and highly skilled individuals and leaders and furthermore leaves a void that often takes years and hundreds of thousands of kina to fill. The investment in terms of training and development of these individuals seems to be for naught as once the decision is mad

An unresolved constitutional crisis in Papua New Guinea (PNG)—the South Pacific’s most populous and resource-rich country—highlights the political instability generated throughout the region by intensifying great power rivalries, particularly between the United States and China. Following extraordinary events over the past two weeks, including the arrest of the deputy prime minister and attorney-general, the PNG Supreme Court is due to rule on December 9 on the constitutional legitimacy of the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. O’Neill took office on August 2 when the parliament voted by 70 to 24 to declare that the prime ministership had been vacated by long-time leader Sir Michael Somare, who had been critically ill in a Singapore hospital for four months Somare was also stripped of his parliamentary seat, on the pretext that he had missed three sittings of parliament. O’Neill, the son of a former Australian magistrate in PNG, is more closely aligned to Australia, the countr

An unresolved constitutional crisis in Papua New Guinea (PNG)—the South Pacific’s most populous and resource-rich country—highlights the political instability generated throughout the region by intensifying great power rivalries, particularly between the United States and China. Following extraordinary events over the past two weeks, including the arrest of the deputy prime minister and attorney-general, the PNG Supreme Court is due to rule on December 9 on the constitutional legitimacy of the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. O’Neill took office on August 2 when the parliament voted by 70 to 24 to declare that the prime ministership had been vacated by long-time leader Sir Michael Somare, who had been critically ill in a Singapore hospital for four months Somare was also stripped of his parliamentary seat, on the pretext that he had missed three sittings of parliament. O’Neill, the son of a former Australian magistrate in PNG, is more closely aligned to Australia, the

A proposal to turn ownership of mineral rights over to landowners in Papua New Guinea would split national unity and devastate the south Pacific country’s economically vital mining sector, Papua New Guinea’s Chamber of Mines and Petroleum said yesterday. Supporters of the move led by former prime minister Julius Chan believe it would better distribute royalties from the billions of dollars reaped each year from mining and oil directly to local communities instead of relying on the central government. But Chamber of Mines and Petroleum executive director Greg Anderson said this would lead to chaos and could deter foreign investment in the nation’s single-largest revenue earner. The proposal, first tabled by Mines Minister Byron Chan, the son of Julius Chan, is a key plank ahead of national elections next June in Papua New Guinea, which is often described as an island of gold, floating in a sea of oil surrounded by gas. “The proposal is getting a high profile because we’re coming up to t

A proposal to turn ownership of mineral rights over to landowners in Papua New Guinea would split national unity and devastate the south Pacific country’s economically vital mining sector, Papua New Guinea’s Chamber of Mines and Petroleum said yesterday. Supporters of the move led by former prime minister Julius Chan believe it would better distribute royalties from the billions of dollars reaped each year from mining and oil directly to local communities instead of relying on the central government. But Chamber of Mines and Petroleum executive director Greg Anderson said this would lead to chaos and could deter foreign investment in the nation’s single-largest revenue earner. The proposal, first tabled by Mines Minister Byron Chan, the son of Julius Chan, is a key plank ahead of national elections next June in Papua New Guinea, which is often described as an island of gold, floating in a sea of oil surrounded by gas. “The proposal is getting a high profile because we’re coming