PNGBLOGS

By SUSAN MERRELL Former attorney-general of the Solomon Islands, Julian Moti, has given instructions to his Port Moresby lawyer, Peter Pena, to lodge a substantial claim for compensation against the state of Papua New Guinea within the next few weeks. As this scenario plays out in Papua New Guinea, so history repeats itself in the United Kingdom. Anyone who was domicile in the Pacific in September/October of 2006, may be getting a strong sense of déjà vu from the situation of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Assange, holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, has sought and been granted asylum by the Republic of Ecuador against a British extradition order. Assange is of the belief that the proposed extradition to Sweden to face sex charges would unfairly put him within reach of the United States of America who wants him to face charges for his part in the Wikileaks revelations. Assange is surrounded by a hostile British state that has agreed to his extradition  – outside the embass

By GANJIKI D WAYNE     Many years ago the Western world—the Caucasian man—determined that the black man was not man at all. They believed that the darker race was not a race. The black man was a stage of evolution somewhere between the Apes and the Caucasian man. Therefore the black man, not being fully evolved, was not fully human. And therefore not entitled to the rights understood to be due to human beings. The black man was a different species. And so they treated them as slaves. The black man was an animal, a living tool. They patronized them; not believing them capable of anything they themselves were capable of. Even of independent thought. And they could justify that perception with arguments both from science and religion. But whichever angle they spun it, they were wrong. It is ironic that people who thought themselves the benchmark of the human race, allowed such fantasies in their minds. And they couldn't shake it off no matter how much reading and thinking they did, or

By GANJIKI D WAYNE     Many years ago the Western world—the Caucasian man—determined that the black man was not man at all. They believed that the darker race was not a race. The black man was a stage of evolution somewhere between the Apes and the Caucasian man. Therefore the black man, not being fully evolved, was not fully human. And therefore not entitled to the rights understood to be due to human beings. The black man was a different species. And so they treated them as slaves. The black man was an animal, a living tool. They patronized them; not believing them capable of anything they themselves were capable of. Even of independent thought. And they could justify that perception with arguments both from science and religion. But whichever angle they spun it, they were wrong. It is ironic that people who thought themselves the benchmark of the human race, allowed such fantasies in their minds. And they couldn't shake it off no matter how much reading and thinking they did,

The government of Papua New Guinea will repeal controversial laws giving parliament the power to suspend judges as part of an ambitious five-year reform program. Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio on Tuesday opened the ninth parliament of PNG and declared an end to the madcap political turmoil seen since August last year. In a speech outlining the government's agenda for the next five years, he declared the government would repeal the internationally criticised Judicial Conduct Act, which gave parliament the power to effectively suspend judges. The government would also scrap an age restriction of 75 years for the prime minister - a law introduced last year to keep 76-year-old, court-backed Sir Michael Somare from retaking the top job. Sir Michael is now part of Mr O'Neill's government, the pair having reconciled after the election. "I am happy to say these challenges are now behind us, for the better," Governor-General Ogio said. "After the events of the past

The government of Papua New Guinea will repeal controversial laws giving parliament the power to suspend judges as part of an ambitious five-year reform program. Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio on Tuesday opened the ninth parliament of PNG and declared an end to the madcap political turmoil seen since August last year. In a speech outlining the government's agenda for the next five years, he declared the government would repeal the internationally criticised Judicial Conduct Act, which gave parliament the power to effectively suspend judges. The government would also scrap an age restriction of 75 years for the prime minister - a law introduced last year to keep 76-year-old, court-backed Sir Michael Somare from retaking the top job. Sir Michael is now part of Mr O'Neill's government, the pair having reconciled after the election. "I am happy to say these challenges are now behind us, for the better," Governor-General Ogio said. "After the eve

By REX WELLIN On behalf of the tenants of the North Waigani Hostel, Hohola Hostel and all NHC properties nationwide we commend Honourable Paul Ezekiel Minister for Housing on his bold stand and undertaking to investigate corruption within the National Housing Corporation and the devaluation and sale of North Waigani Hostel. We give the Minister our full backing as the Minister’s stand is consistent with the O’Neill Government’s policy to fight corruption and its subsequent introduction of anti-corruption Legislation. We urge the Prime Minister and all other Government ministers to follow the Housing Minister’s lead to fight corruption. The Housing Minister’s Statement is a huge relief to tenants of North Waigani and Hohola Hostels and all other tenants of NHC properties nationwide who have been victims of heavy handed abuse and corruption perpetrated by NHC Management over the years. The tenants of North Waigani and Hohola Hostels and NHC properties nationally now challenge the Prime M

By REX WELLIN On behalf of the tenants of the North Waigani Hostel, Hohola Hostel and all NHC properties nationwide we commend Honourable Paul Ezekiel Minister for Housing on his bold stand and undertaking to investigate corruption within the National Housing Corporation and the devaluation and sale of North Waigani Hostel. We give the Minister our full backing as the Minister’s stand is consistent with the O’Neill Government’s policy to fight corruption and its subsequent introduction of anti-corruption Legislation. We urge the Prime Minister and all other Government ministers to follow the Housing Minister’s lead to fight corruption. The Housing Minister’s Statement is a huge relief to tenants of North Waigani and Hohola Hostels and all other tenants of NHC properties nationwide who have been victims of heavy handed abuse and corruption perpetrated by NHC Management over the years. The tenants of North Waigani and Hohola Hostels and NHC properties nationally now challenge t

By SUSAN MERRELL THE private member’s bill of newly-elected MP Robert Atiyafa, if passed,will represent an unparalleled travesty of justice in PNG on a massive scale. Tomorrow, at the first sitting of the 9th PNG parliament, the member for Henganofi will propose that all inquiries, investigations and tribunals that implicate PNG’s leaders and prominent persons be closed. Those holding a privileged position in PNG society who are suspected of committing criminal acts, and those for whom prosecutions have already been recommended, will be “let off” if they publicly apologise. Given that many of the people named in the inquiries are members of parliament, past and present, or persons on the periphery of government, voting on the bill creates a conflict of interest of the most self-serving kind. And if the people of PNG are expecting those in the current opposition to oppose this bill, they could be disappointed. Currently, commissioned inquiries and tribunals are responsible for investiga

Bulolo MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition Honourable Sam Basil today commended the enforcer of the Leadership Code - the Ombudsman Commission – for its proactive response on his call for public accounting on funding of elections. “I am pleased that that Acting Chief Ombudsman John Nero has taken my public call on parliamentary leaders and political party executives to account for their election campaign funding seriously,” Mr Basil said, following an EMTV news item featuring Mr Nero’s public comments on Saturday evening. The head of PNG’s watch dog said on TV that the Ombudsman Commission will investigate the use of District Services Improvement Program funds by both ousted and returned MPs. Open MPs are chairmen of their joint district planning and budget priorities committees which determine priorities for disbursement. It is estimated that the 89 Open MPs had access to some K27 million each from 2007-2012 in DSIP funds. That equates to an expenditure of at least K2.4 billion for the