Groups arrive early to see parliament sit

By JULIA DAIA BORE

THE corner of Goodwit Road and John Guise Drive, in Waigani, converging onto the turn off into the National Parliament house was yesterday packed with people and traffic from about noon to 2pm, The National reports.
Police controlled traffic and people started moving around outside the National Library and National Archives buildings from 8am, although parliament was scheduled to begin at 2pm to discuss among other things a proposed law on women's reserved seats.
Women in PNG coloured outfits — meri blouses and T-shirts — were seated or standing in groups and their leaders advising them that only their spokeswomen would go for the sitting.
Closer to the roundabout, an even bigger crowd, including children, were assembled with their leaders briefing them on loudspeakers about the issues to be dealt with in parliament.
The traffic between 1pm and 2pm was heavy along roads into the National Parliament house.
Meanwhile, the bill to reserve the 22 parliamentary seats went through a second reading yesterday in parliament.