PNGBLOGS

THROUGHOUT the country people had their full attention on the last meeting of parliament which began yesterday for a variety of reasons. Eyes and ears were glued to television and radio sets while those lucky enough to be allowed through the gates of parliament in Port Moresby jostled for the limited space in the chamber. One half of the population – numbering a little more than three million people – had a bill before parliament to reserve 22 seats in the next parliament exclusively for women. Those politically aware knew this is the crucial meeting of parliament when this bill has to be passed or it might never be. Women came in busloads in the hope that the reserved seats bill would be read. They defied security orders about footwear and stampeded into the grand entrance in tongs, daring guards to remove them. Jiwaka people, numbering nearly 200,000, and some 350,000 Hela people are waiting with bated breath for Minister Assisting Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters and J

THROUGHOUT the country people had their full attention on the last meeting of parliament which began yesterday for a variety of reasons. Eyes and ears were glued to television and radio sets while those lucky enough to be allowed through the gates of parliament in Port Moresby jostled for the limited space in the chamber. One half of the population – numbering a little more than three million people – had a bill before parliament to reserve 22 seats in the next parliament exclusively for women. Those politically aware knew this is the crucial meeting of parliament when this bill has to be passed or it might never be. Women came in busloads in the hope that the reserved seats bill would be read. They defied security orders about footwear and stampeded into the grand entrance in tongs, daring guards to remove them. Jiwaka people, numbering nearly 200,000, and some 350,000 Hela people are waiting with bated breath for Minister Assisting Prime Minister on Constitutional Mat

Almost K100 million owned by a state-owned enterprise has been siphoned off to a bank account in the Australian state of New South Wales and a police investigation is underway to recover the money. Former public enterprises minister Arthur Somare and former Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd (MVIL) manager director Dr John Mua are implicated. The money – about K96 million – was the proceeds of the sale of 530,105,100 shares in Bank South Pacific which were owned by MVIL. Public Enterprises Minister Sir Mekere Morauta announced details yesterday, saying he had ordered the recovery of the money. “The sale, to an Australian company called Nominees Niugini Ltd, is now the subject of a police investigation.” He said MVIL sold the shares when under the control of his predecessor Arthur Somare and the former Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC) management. According to Sir Mekere, proper processes had not been followed, and the sale was in breach of Section 45B of the IPBC Act and Section

Almost K100 million owned by a state-owned enterprise has been siphoned off to a bank account in the Australian state of New South Wales and a police investigation is underway to recover the money. Former public enterprises minister Arthur Somare and former Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd (MVIL) manager director Dr John Mua are implicated. The money – about K96 million – was the proceeds of the sale of 530,105,100 shares in Bank South Pacific which were owned by MVIL. Public Enterprises Minister Sir Mekere Morauta announced details yesterday, saying he had ordered the recovery of the money. “The sale, to an Australian company called Nominees Niugini Ltd, is now the subject of a police investigation.” He said MVIL sold the shares when under the control of his predecessor Arthur Somare and the former Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC) management. According to Sir Mekere, proper processes had not been followed, and the sale was in breach of Section 45B of the IPBC Act

WOMEN danced, wept and embraced outside the Papua New Guinea Parliament yesterday as years of campaigning culminated in a watershed vote to allow 22 reserved seats for women in the almost exclusively male chamber, where just one of 109 seats is presently held by a female. With time running out before the 2012 general election, expectation and anxiety were high among supporters of the bill, with women loudly admonishing MPs from the packed public gallery when the debate was delayed on Monday. But encouraged by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, the constitutional amendment to allow the women's seats, one for each province, was eventually passed by 72 votes to two, with several members abstaining and some absent. ''Only with the input of women will PNG go on and thrive to become a great nation,'' said Mr O'Neill. The president of the National Council of Women, Schola Kakas, described the move as ''a cry of the mothers of this nation''. She added: &#

WOMEN danced, wept and embraced outside the Papua New Guinea Parliament yesterday as years of campaigning culminated in a watershed vote to allow 22 reserved seats for women in the almost exclusively male chamber, where just one of 109 seats is presently held by a female. With time running out before the 2012 general election, expectation and anxiety were high among supporters of the bill, with women loudly admonishing MPs from the packed public gallery when the debate was delayed on Monday. But encouraged by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, the constitutional amendment to allow the women's seats, one for each province, was eventually passed by 72 votes to two, with several members abstaining and some absent. ''Only with the input of women will PNG go on and thrive to become a great nation,'' said Mr O'Neill. The president of the National Council of Women, Schola Kakas, described the move as ''a cry of the mothers of this nation''. She

DISMISSED! Former National Planning Minister and Member for Pomio, Paul Tiensten was unceremoniously dumped as a Member of Parliament, shortly after the House resumed this afternoon. Speaker Jeffery Nape, declared the seat vacant, citing Tiensten had missed three consecutive sessions of Parliament. ... Tiensten is the second Member of Parliament to have been dumped by Speaker Nape, the first being veteran politician and father of the nation, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. The Speaker had invoked Section 104, 2b of the Constitution in both situations. After declaring the Pomio Open seat vacant, Speaker Nape, temporarily adjourned the House, and ordered the Sergeant-At-Arms to remove Mr. Tiensten from the Floor. However, the Sergeant-At-Arms did not remove Mr. Tiensten, and the Member refused to leave. Some 10 minutes later Mr. Tiensten left, voluntarily. When the House resumed, former Attorney General, Sir Arnold Amet, called for a point of order to explain that a Supreme Court referen