PNGBLOGS

PNGBLOGS  After a unanimous resolution today from the ruling party PNC, Oro Governor & Leader of the Peoples Movement for Change (PMC) Party Gary Juffa will move from middle bench to opposition. Governor Juffa was in the middle bench. The middle bench in PNG’s parliament has always been a place where individual MP’s not aligned with the parliament’s ruling party(s) or its leader(s) sit. Oro Governor & PMC party leader Gary Juffa not wishing to get entangled in corrupt practices or MP’s has always purposefully selected to sit in the middle bench since 2012 when he was first voted in. Today however after a unanimous decision by the PNC party, Governor Juffa must move from middle bench to opposition. It is also less than a year since leader of PNC party and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill sought to oust member for Kandep Don Poyle from government to opposition as ABC reported on 7th May 2014 “Don Poyle…was sacked by Mr O'Neill in March for refusing to sign a $AUD1.2 billi

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill did something remarkable last Thursday. In a wide-ranging policy speech at a leadership summit in Port Moresby, he acknowledged the oppression of the people of West Papua. It was the first time an incumbent prime minister of Papua New Guinea has spoken directly about the rights of West Papuans in a public forum: Papua New Guinea today is a respected regional leader. After 40 years of undisturbed democracy, we are in a unique position to lead mature discussions on issues affecting our people in the region. Our leading role in encouraging Fiji to return to a democratically elected government and voicing our concerns about the plight of our people in New Caledonia are examples of our growing influence. We have also participated in the restoration of democracy and law and order in countries like Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. But sometimes we forgot our family, our brothers and sisters, especially those in West Papua. I think

By GABRIEL RAMOI - An Essay on West Papua Part One : O'Niell & the Force of Moral Persuasion The earth shattering reversal of a 40 year policy of Denial by PNG on the plight of West Papua announced by Prime Minister Peter on Thursday the 5th of February 2015 will come to be judged by history as the most important step taken by a sovereign state toward propelling West Papua towards Political Independence from Indonesia. It follow on the heels of that lone brave voice made by Moana Cacasses the Prime Minister of Vanuatu to the United nations on sept 29th 2013 to put West Papua back on the United Nations Agenda and responsibility to address civil rights violation inside West Papua. The Statement by the Prime Minister Oneil is a bold move and one that that has not be made lightly. It turns PNGs Foreign Policy on its head and will no doubt rattle Australia and will keep Academics busy in years to come analyzing the significance and consequences of that Decision. Just li

THE AUSTRALIAN While the oil price collapse is the number one problem for producers everywhere, the outcome of an obscure arbitration process in London will have more influence on the future of Papua New Guinea's Oil Search. The ruling on the squabble between Oil Search and US-listed InterOil over pre-emptive rights in the huge Elk-Antelope gas resource will have ramifications beyond those companies. The prospects in PNG of French oil major Total also hinge on the outcome, as does the future shape of the country's liquefied natural gas sector. With the decision due by March, pressure is building from the PNG government for swift progress toward an LNG expansion in the country. A deal signed last month between the government and ExxonMobil paved the way for a third train at the US giant's new $US19 billion ($24 billion) PNG LNG venture using gas from the P'nyang field. But Elk-Antelope is widely regarded as the most economic of potential LNG ventures in Asia, a

SOUTH PACIFIC POST Mr Wobiro, 55, was arrested and charged yesterday on four counts of misappropriation of funds totalling up to K7 million along with eight other counts of abuse of office. Other charges include four counts of abuse of office and four counts of conspiracy to defraud. Director for fraud and anti-corruption directorate Matthew Damaru said Mr Wobiro was arrested last year by the mobile squad for a different matter, a case that was withdrawn but may resurface when police are ready. The national fraud and anti-corruption directorate conducted the investigation upon complaints by the people of Western Province. After the interview at the national fraud and anti-corruption office in Konedobu, Mr Wobiro was taken to the Boroko police station cells where he was locked up. It is alleged that a Joint Provincial Budget Priorities Committee (JPBPC) meeting comprising three Open MPs of South Fly, Middle Fly and North Fly convened on November 21, 2

A case Study of The Sicomine ,  Mining Development Contract  between China &  the Democratic Republic of Congo By Gabriel  Ramoi When Xi  Jinping  became  Premier of China  the first   trip he  took outside of China in 2013 was not to Australia where  it imports most of its mineral from  nor did he go to the United  States to discuss world global security  issues with Obama in his role as a leader of an emerging world power  instead  Xi Jinping  travelled to the poorest Nation on earth ,  the  Democratic  Republic of Congo [  Formerly  Zaire] to  stamp his mark internationally  on the trajectory of Chinese  peaceful  intension to  engage  the world economically  by financing Infrastructure Development in that Country.  Xi Jinping  arrived in Congo  with two of his  State Banks   , The  China Development Bank and the Import Export Bank of China  to sign off a loan of  US$9.25 Billion to the Government of DRC to build essential infrastructure in that country in exchange for  Congo

By Peter Moorower Will an establishment of an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) similar to the one established in the UK and other developed countries help solve the ongoing police killings, brutalities, harassments, bulling, misconducts etc., in PNG and restore public confidence? PNG is currently witnessing and reporting on numerous daily police misconducts including deaths of citizens caused by careless policemen right around the country. Currently, almost all cases of police –caused deaths, brutalities, harassments and misconducts etc., reported to the police by the public are only investigated by colleague policemen. With policemen investigating offences committed by their fellow colleague(s) poses the question of independency and impartiality of the investigation and more importantly the delegated powers. The purpose of such investigation is to allow for ultimate justice to prevail and to create public confidence. However, it appears that few reported cases get