PNGBLOGS

by WAIGANI INSIDER The PM and his advisors aren’t dumb.  As it became more apparent what an economic mess the government had gotten PNG into, they were clear that more people would start speaking out. When anticorruption activist Noah Anjo organized his protests last year and MP Don Polye followed, the PM knew that he had to act fast.   The word was sent out not to allow any protests that were against the PM (this did not extend to TI protests. PM believes that TI protests aren’t any threat to his power and by allowing them to continue, he can say that he supports efforts to fight corruption).    The PM effectively keeps his MPs bought off but he fears public outrage.  Last October was the first serious threat to the PM’s authority, when Noah Anjo organized a protest march from Jack Pidik park to Parliament to support a vote of no confidence on the PM.   Anjo’s request for a protest permit was also turned down.  When Anjo got a court order allowing the protest, the PM knew tha

NO MORE EXCUSES FOR THE PRIME MINISTER On Tuesday April 5, 2016, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said: “We all know who are the real financial beneficiaries of the Paraka transactions. “I look forward to the facts seeing the light of day on this issue.” He now has a duty to go to the police and submit to an interview on Parakagate to provide them with these facts. His failure to do opens the way for him to be charged with further very serious criminal offences (see below). It insults the Office of the Prime Minister and the people of Papua New Guinea. NO MORE LIES. NO MORE DELAYS. Opposition Leader Don Polye voluntarily went to the police to tell them what he knows about Parakagate. He has done his duty as a law-abiding citizen. Every other law-abiding citizen in the country would do the same. So should the Prime Minister. WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE PRIME MINISTER? There is nothing special about the Prime Minister. He has no more rights than any other citizen. He should behave like any

by YAKAN LEPAKAILI   The action of the deputy and acting Speaker of Parliament in the last Parliament session was well calculated and his action is not surprising but demeans the parliamentary process and democracy to say the least. This is in the light of opposition moving the motion of no-confidence notice. Initially, when deputy opposition leader sponsored the MONC, acting Speaking called it defective. The approach acting Speaker taken to make the ruling was it proper and followed the tenets of the Parliamentary Standing Orders leaves lot to be desired. The acting Speaker then returned the defective MONC notice to the sponsor to rectify the anomaly and surely resubmitted. In the second time, acting Speaker, on a Thursday, received the amended MONC notice. Whilst the opposition camp was throwing heart and soul into moving the MONC, those in the opposing team had counter plans on foot to outpace opposition. Typically, with Westminster system of governance