Kidu reminds MPs of reserved seats bill

By JUNIOR UKAHA

 

LONE woman politician and government minister Dame Carol Kidu is optimistic that parliament will pass the proposed Equality and Participation Bill to enact 22 reserved seats for women by an elective process, The National reports.

Dame Carol, who holds the community development portfolio, has been outspoken on women and children issues since entering politics. Among her main agendas had been women’s voice and representation in parliament.

“The prime minister has assured me that the matter will be entertained in parliament,” Dame Carol said yesterday.

In a media statement last Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare committed the government to tabling the proposed bill.

He said the bill was now on the notice paper of the parliamentary business and “the government will discuss it come Nov 16”.

“The government will elaborate on the proposed legislation during the coming parliament session to ensure women have a fair representation in the highest decision-making process,” Sir Michael said.

In reaffirming his ongoing commitment to PNG women, the prime minister also assured visiting US state secretary Hillary Clinton of “the government’s unwavering support to ensure women have a voice at the highest level”.

Dame Carol said women from as far as East New Britain and Manus had rang her and rallied their support for the government to allocate the proposed 22 seats for women in parliament.

The bill is expected to go before parliament this week.

However, it was understood that the supplementary and 2011 budgets would take precedence.

 

 

Australian youth envoy raped in Madang

By JAYNE SAFIHAO

 

AN Australian youth ambassador on a surfing break in Madang was raped at the weekend, The National reports.

The victim was with three other Australians who had travelled to Madang’s North Coast Road looking for surfing spots last Saturday.

Police said the four were carjacked, robbed and then taken to a secluded spot where they were bound to trees and the female raped.

The criminals then used the victims’ car and stole two other cars.

Police said the incident took place near the Bunabun Health Centre at Ivoro village.

According to reports, the four Australians had stopped at Bunabun to drop off their surf boards when they were set upon by four men armed with two guns, a pistol and a dagger.

The four were forced into their vehicle and stripped of all valuables including mobile phones and driven to a secluded area where they tied the other three and took off with the female hostage.

The three, who were tied up, freed themselves and proceeded on foot to Midibar where they used a phone to alert police.

Condemning the attack, Australian High Commission official John Poultar said the youths were in the country under the youth ambassador programme and it was a sad experience when they were out to enjoy a weekend.

“It is about developing a relationship as volunteers in their host country under this AusAID programme,” he said.

In-country programme manageress Julie Bengi had voiced her concern, saying that the project was supporting organisations in a significant way and this incident had created a negative impact.

According to police, three suspects had been apprehended and were in police custody.

Police are looking for another suspect.

Provincial police commander Anthony Wagambie Jnr could not be reached for comments.

Sir Mekere: Somare running scared

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta said today that the Somare Government is very scared of losing power. 

“It is clearly doing everything it can to make sure that the Opposition’s planned motion of no-confidence is killed,” he said.

“A band of royal visits to Cairns using the aerial PMV (Falcon Jet)which cost the public K130 million to buy – Somare is yet to disclose the operational costs of his PMV – has been going on over the last two weeks to court the Speaker.

“The visits were led by Father Somare and concluded by Son Somare.”

The Opposition Leader said that he was sure the Speaker was fully aware of his duty and obligation under the Constitution to process the motion and let the people’s representatives decide by voting, democratically, as provided for in PNG’s laws.

“I urge the Speaker to withstand the onslaught of rogues who are asking him to disobey the Constitution.”

Sir Mekere has called on Members of Parliament in the current Government ranks and the public to speak out and urge the Speaker to allow the motion to be tabled.

“The Opposition intends to re-submit the motion on Tuesday and expects the Speaker to table it and to adjourn Parliament for a week,” he said.

“PNG Party will lead the march to oust this evil arrogant Government.”

Authorised for Release by:

Mekere Morauta KCMG MP                              

Leader of the Opposition and                                           

Member for Moresby North-West 

Why do we put up with this?

From PAUL OATES

"Why do we put up with this?"
Statement by Sir Mekere Morauta KCMG MP, Leader of the Opposition and Member for Moresby North-West, Sunday 14 November, referring to the actions of current PNG's Prime Minister.
So will a 'No Confidence' motion be allowed to be debated by the Speaker and voted on and if so, will it succeed?
The answer should not be long in forthcoming when this week's expected reconvening of Parliament takes place.
But what if there is yet another adjournment of Parliamentary rule?
What can the PNG Opposition do if the successful muzzling tactics of the Somare government over last two years are repeated yet again?
If the freely-elected representatives of the PNG people are again prevented from meeting and deliberating about where their country is heading, why not meet elsewhere?
If the Speaker's Mace is not available, does that automatically remove the right of elected members to meet? Does the absence of a Mace automatically silence the voices of those who need to speak?
If prevented from speaking in Parliament, those PNG elected representatives of the people should merely hire a public hall and conduct their deliberations in full view of the public.
If a hall is not available, hire a sports oval and invite all the people along.
Members have been elected by their voters to do just this, irrespective of whether the debates are held in Parliament House or not. T
he media should be invited to record all that goes on and what is said and by whom.
Is not Papua New Guinea still a free country?
"Wake up Papua New Guinean elected representatives!"

Marching for justice

 Residents in Wabag town, Enga, took to the streets last Friday to demand that resident court judge, Justice Graham Ellis, remain in the province. Public servants also joined the peaceful march, led by women’s groups, who made their views known in a six-page petition signed by 250 people and presented to National Court officials in Wabag. The march stemmed from reports that Ellis’ two-year term was up and he was leaving Enga. The petitioners claimed they saw “true justice without fear or favour” with the arrival of Ellis and wanted him to stay on.– Nationalpic by JAMES APA GUMUNO

Much at stake in ouster bid

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE coalition government is confident of beating a looming vote of no-confidence mooted by the opposition during this session of parliament, The National reports.

The government is so confident that both Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his deputy Don Polye are out of the country attending to international commitments while the opposition is busy lobbying for numbers to move the vote this week.

Sir Michael and Polye will return today for the budget session tomorrow and facing a possible vote this week.

However, sources claimed that the government, in a move to avoid the vote, would adjourn parliament straight after Treasury and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill hands down his first supplementary and 2011 budgets and return for the opposition reply a week later.

The opposition had claimed that a notice paper on the vote had been given to Speaker Jeffrey Nape, and it was incumbent on Nape to carry out his duties with fairness and impartiality.

The deputy prime minister said in a media briefing, before leaving for Japan at the weekend, that the vote of no-confidence would do more harm than good for the country.

Polye said it was in the country’s interest that the current coalition remained in office until 2012.

Good government policies like the district service improvement programme, treasury roll-out, rural electrification and the transport infrastructure programme under the ADB multi-tranche finance facility were some projects most likely to be affected with a change of government.

Polye said a change would create confusion and uncertainty in the current healthy investment climate.

Of biggest concern was a change would affect the positive growth in foreign investment which, he claimed, was the result of favourable economic conditions created by government.

“A change now will make vulnerable the level of focus and certainty that the private sector has in the economy.

“We cannot afford to jeopardise mega projects that the government has brought on board, particularly in the gas and mineral sectors.”

He also said not much would be achieve by a new government, given the time remaining before the next elections in 2012.

Polye said experience had shown that, in PNG, a new government required at least three years to settle in office before getting on in its prime business of implementing its policies, programmes and strategies.

He said it would require another two years for effective and proper implementation, hence a full five years to effectively deliver.

“Any new government formed now will not achieve much for the people, given that only 12 months remain before the general elections.”

He also dismissed reports that there was a split within the ruling National Alliance party, although there appeared to be some cracks over the leadership issues of New Guinea Islands and Southern regions, when pledging the NA Highlands bloc’s loyalty and support for the government.

NA chief rejects Namah's plans

NATIONAL Alliance party president Simon Kaiwi has condemned the desperate moves that continue to be made by PNG Party leader Belden Namah and his opposition cohorts in their attempts to topple a legitimately elected government, The National reports.

“They have used the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of parts of the Integrity Law on Political Parties and Candidates to create the kind of political instability that brought this nation’s economy to a state of near collapse.”

Kaiwi said the guarantee of political stability, since the enactment of these laws, had laid the foundation for the unprecedented nine consecutive years of solid economic growth and resulted in the biggest boost in jobs’ creation ever seen in PNG’s history.

“Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta, the architect of these laws, has sold his soul to those who want to destroy the letter and spirit of this legislation by resorting to any means, fair or foul, to topple this government.

“Unable to find enough support within the ranks of the opposition parties in their desperate grab for power, they have enticed former members of the National Alliance to join their cause in an unholy alliance and some political careers may have been ruined in the process,” Kaiwi said.

“When that move failed, they came up with unsubstantiated claims by a long-time anti-government campaigner, who has caused public chaos by constantly pursuing mass protests, to try and topple the NA-led government.”

Kaiwi said NA had never tried to maintain the government was perfect, but it had created a situation where the population generally could look forward to a future that is brighter than one could have imagined at any time since independence.

“This message will be loud and clear in this week’s national budget.

“The coalition government has firm plans in place to ensure steady improvements are made in the delivery of public services to people throughout the nation.

“Not so long ago, we were totally dependent on aid donors for our development budget. This is no longer the case.

“We have a vibrant economy that is growing strongly despite the ongoing problems in the international arena, sparked off by the 2008 global financial crisis.”

ExxonMobil assured sites are safe

By ELIZABETH MIAE

ACTING police commissioner Tony Wagambie has assured the PNG LNG project developer ExxonMobil that there is no threat to the security of the operations at the project sites, The National reports.

Wagambie gave the assurance yesterday after ExxonMobil expressed concerns that recent changes made by the government to the police hierarchy would see the withdrawal of the current police officers deployed at the project sites in the Gulf and Southern Highlands areas.

He reiterated an assurance to the government and investors that the police force was intact and that they were loyal to the government.

He also brushed aside talks of dissatisfaction within the police force, adding that any reports of officer revolt would be dealt with accordingly.

Wagambie was speaking during a media briefing at the Airlines PNG airport terminal building after returning from the LNG project site in the Southern Highlands yesterday.

He and senior executives from ExxonMobil, including the developer’s regional director for security operations, flew into the province on Saturday and visited Moro, Gobe, Kopi, Mendi and Nogoli.

Wagambie told reporters that the executives from ExxonMobil were happy with the current security arrangement up there.

Upon his arrival in the province, he was welcomed to a reception by his men and women on the ground.

He reminded them of their constitutional duties of being in the police force and told them that if anyone of them had differences and wanted to leave, they were free to go.

“There are 150 police officers currently deployed there and I told them if anybody wants to go, they can go. I can replace them.”

He also appealed to the media to be more accurate in their reporting.

Wagambie said recent reports of police officers threatening to leave the site was all propaganda and asked journalists to get information from official sources.

APEC leaders release declaration, adopt new vision for regional growth

Issued by the  APEC Secretariat

Yokohama, Japan, November 14, 2010 – APEC Leaders gathered under the theme “Change and Action” to “articulate our vision of further building and integrating the Asia-Pacific region in the 21^st Century, and paths to realize that vision.”

At the conclusion of their two-day meeting, APEC Leaders adopted a declaration as well as a Leaders’ Statement on 2010 Bogor Goals Assessment, the Report on APEC’s 2010 Economies’ Progress Towards the Bogor Goals, the APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy and Pathways to FTAAP.

Significant progress towards the Bogor Goals

“Through our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the Bogor Goals, the Asia-Pacific region has achieved substantial reductions in barriers to trade and investment. These efforts have led to increased trade and investment flows, sustained economic growth, and a vast improvement in the welfare of people in the region.”

“We are confident that APEC is well on track toward achieving the goal of free and open trade and investment among its economies.”

The assessment was conducted on progress towards achieving the Bogor Goals by the five industrialized economies by 2010 as well as eight developing economies, who volunteered ahead of 2020.

“We endorse the Report on APEC’s 2010 Economies’ Progress Towards the Bogor Goals and conclude that while more work remains to be done, these 13 economies have made significant progress toward achieving the Bogor Goals.”

Path toward a robust economy

“We set forth the APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy as APEC’s first substantial effort to provide a comprehensive long-term framework for promoting high-quality growth in the region.” 

“We will implement the Growth Strategy out to 2015, focusing on the five desired attributes of balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth.

“Our Growth Strategy includes an Action Plan that encompasses work elements on structural reform; human resource and entrepreneurship development; green growth; a knowledge-based economy; and human security.”

“The Action Plan will be supported and promoted through specific work programs that draw in all aspects of APEC’s work, including sectoral Ministerial meetings, committees, APEC sub-fora, extensive regional networks of experts, and APEC’s close cooperation with the business community.”

“We will review our progress toward implementing the Growth Strategy in 2015.”

Accelerating regional economic integration

“We will take concrete steps toward realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which is a major instrument to further APEC’s regional economic integration agenda. An FTAAP should be pursued as a comprehensive free trade agreement by developing and building on ongoing regional undertakings, such as the ASEAN+3, ASEAN+6, and the Trans Pacific Partnership among others.”

“To this end, APEC will make an important and meaningful contribution as an incubator of an FTAAP by providing leadership and intellectual input into the process of its development, and by playing a critical role in defining, shaping, and addressing the “next generation” trade and investment issues that FTAAP should contain.”

“APEC should contribute to the pursuit of an FTAAP by continuing and further developing its work on sectoral initiatives in such areas as investment; services; e-commerce, rules of origin; standards and conformance; trade facilitation; and environmental goods and services.”

Balanced growth

“We must take steps to build a foundation for stronger, more sustainable, and more balanced growth in the future.”

“We note the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation to promote external sustainability and pursuing the full range of policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances at sustainable levels.”

“We will move toward more market-determined exchange rate systems and enhance exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying economic fundamentals and will refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies.  Advanced economies, including those with reserve currencies, will be vigilant against excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates. These actions will help mitigate the risk of excessive volatility in capital flows facing some emerging market economies.”

Supporting the multilateral trading system

“We should continue to take steps to build a stronger and more resilient global financial system. We remain committed to maintaining open markets and fighting protectionism. We reaffirm our common resolve to support the recovery in a collaborative and coordinated way.”

“We reaffirm our strong commitment to bring the Doha Development Agenda to a prompt and successful conclusion. Bearing in mind that 2011 will be a critically important “window of opportunity,” we direct our Ministers to empower our representatives to engage in comprehensive negotiations with a sense of urgency in the end game, built on the progress achieved, including with regard to modalities, consistent with the Doha mandate.”

“We affirm our commitment to win domestic support in our respective systems for a strong agreement.”

Resisting protectionism

“In our continued efforts to resist protectionism, we agree to extend our commitment on standstill made in 2008 to the end of 2013 to refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions, or implementing World Trade Organisation inconsistent measures in all areas, including those that stimulate exports.”

                                                                    ###

For more information, contact: Trudy Harris at th@apec.org or (+81) (0)80 3417 3130 (in Japan) or Michael Chapnick at mc@apec.org or (+81) (0)80 40841709 (in Japan)

Somare now behaving like a dictator

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta said today that Michael Somare is turning Papua New Guinea into “Mugabeland”.

“Somare has all the ingredients and recipes in place,” he said.

“The two most-important disciplinary forces, the Defence Force and the Police have been tribalised and converted into instruments at his disposal and for his use.  “Papua New Guineans should be extremely worried about these developments and must not allow these tribal roots to take hold.

“These moves are fraught with danger and set sickening precedents for others to follow in the future. 

 “Michael Somare has to be blamed squarely for these atrocious, self-serving acts.”

“This is why this Government has to be changed – to save our country and our future.

“The alleged capture by Somare’s bodyguards and alleged bashing of NGO activist Noel Anjo by the Prime Minister and his wife, demonstrate Somare’s preparedness to silence any critic, by any means, including violence and use of the institutions of state.

“I remind Papua New Guineans of the Prime Minister walking across the floor of Parliament to the Opposition front bench, in spitting distance, saying to the Member for Bulolo Sam Basil ‘I will kill you’.

“This again demonstrates Somare’s willingness to stop at nothing to silence any sign of criticism or threat, in ways most inappropriate for a leader. 

“Shameful. 

“Why do we put up with this?”

Sir Mekere concluded:  “This Government has so much to protect that it will stop at nothing to stay in power, even if it destroys the Constitution and people’s freedom. 

“Wake up Papua New Guineans.”

Mekere Morauta KCMG MP                              

Leader of the Opposition and                                           

Member for Moresby North-West                         

Police stable

Wagambie vows to ‘protect and serve’

Acting Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie (left) and acting deputy commissioner Fred Yakasa talking to reporters and senior police officers at police headquarters, Konedobu, yesterday.

ACTING Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie yesterday assured the nation and investors that the police force was stable and united in its mandate to protect and serve.

In his first media conference yesterday, a day after his appointment, he said police services would continue as usual.

In a separate statement, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare confirmed the National Executive Council decision on Wednesday to suspend incumbent Gari Baki on disciplinary grounds and appoint Wagambie to act until further notice.

He said the NEC had also directed acting chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to set up an independent committee to investigate Baki’s conduct as police commissioner within the next three months, including allegedly misleading the government to secure K10 million for LNG operations last month.

“I call upon the rank and file for recommitment and dedication to your assigned duties and responsibilities,” Wagambie, flanked by acting deputy commissioner Fred Yakasa and other senior officers, told reporters at police headquarters, Konedobu.

While the changes at the police hierarchy appeared to have gone without a hitch in the past 48 hours, the picture was less rosy in the provinces.

* Morobe, the Lae Chamber of Commerce and Industry said police had been operating without fuel and it had chipped in to help but had warned its members of upsurge in holdups in the miles area and cautioned those travelling in or around the area to take extra precautions.

* Mt Hagen, Telikom PNG had disconnected all telephone lines to the Highlands provincial police headquarters for non-payment of phone bills totalling more than K400,000. Communications with resource-rich Enga and Southern Highlands, including the LNG project, were also cut.

* Mendi, Southern Highlands police said they needed more money to effectively monitor the six-month, province-wide liquor ban where liquor-related offences were on the rise.

Chief censor, bishops and chamber of commerce slam phone lottery

By ALISON ANIS

 

THE censorship board, Catholic bishops of PNG and the Solomon Islands and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce have publicly condemned mobile phone lottery in the country, The National reports.

Representatives of these organisations made known their views on Wednesday, calling for this form of gambling to be abolished, during a consultative meeting organised by PNG Lotto and the National Gaming Control Board.

Secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference in PNG and Solomon Islands Fr Victor Roche said: “I do not think Papua New Guinea needs mobile phone gambling right.

“Our concerns are for children and the ordinary people in the villages who already have a financial stress on their budgets.

“In order to make one person a million-kina rich, we will make thousand others poor.”

Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce president Ron Seddon said the announcement of mobile phone lottery in PNG came as a surprise.

He said while this form of gambling had been successfully launched in developed countries like Spain, United Kingdom, United States and China, no third world country had tried mobile phone lottery.

“People in developed nations have more control over their expenditure. In PNG, we do not have that.”

PNG chief censor Steven Mala said the National Censorship Board was concerned about children being exposed to gambling and did not believe the assurances from PNG Lotto and the gaming control board.

“I do not think they are 110% sure that this will work.

“Children nowadays are smart; so, what is the guarantee that children will not participate?” Mala asked.

Roche, speaking on behalf of the Catholic bishops conference and Archbishop Francesco Panfillo, said while it was easy to say that parents should control their children, it was difficult to regulate children.

Seddon added: “I am a PNG citizen, and I do not want to see this continued any further.

“We will never stop children from going online.

“It is not the one person who wins a million kina; it is the five million people who lose K4.20 that they cannot afford.

“The government does not need the money. We have money, so let us stop mobile phone gambling,” Seddon said.

The chief censor said he was still not satisfied with the proposal and that the National Censorship Board’s concern was for Papua New Guinea’s overall population and how this would affect them.

“Our suggestion is that we stop this lottery thing and return to the old lotto using entry card manually,” Mala said.

The meeting was organised to collect views and feedbacks from the public following widespread opposition to mobile phone lottery, especially where children were concerned.

 

MPs court Nape

By DANIEL KORIMBAO

 

PARLIAMENT meets on Tuesday for the final session of 2010 before the house rises for the year, The National reports.

Because it is the November session, the focus of this sitting should be the 2011 budget.

But there is uncertainty on most minds because the murmur is for a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister to be introduced by the opposition.

Realistically, this is the only chance the opposition has of getting a no-confidence motion through to be voted on. The opening or window of opportunity provided by law closes in the new year as the Constitution bars any such vote 18 months before a writ is issued for the next general elections.

Speaker Jeffery Nape holds the key to how events will play out on Tuesday, and that is why all roads have led to Cairns, Australia, in recent days, where he has been holidaying.

Frustrated by the government’s failure to provide funds it has promised for urgent maintenance work in parliament, Nape has holed up in Cairns for the last two months or so, and word is that the opposition and government factions have been courting him to allow the notice now before him to go through for a vote, ahead of the budget.

Sources said the prime minister paid Nape a visit last week and had lunch with him. That was followed by a visit from Treasurer and People’s National Congress party leader Peter O’Neill.

Then last week, Enga governor and People’s Party leader Peter Ipatas, United Resources Party founder and Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru, and Rural Development Party leader Moses Maladina, and URP leader William Duma visited Nape for separate meetings.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye flew to Cairns for a meeting with Nape before flying back to Port Moresby.

Yesterday, Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare got on the Qantas flight from Port Moresby to Cairns, hoping to meet with Nape.

Somare told The National he was seeking consultation with Nape on his interpretation of the integrity law, or what’s left of it, after the Supreme Court has struck down some of its provisions as unconstitutional.

He is seeking his views on how members and parties should vote on important bills like the budget and a vote of no-confidence.

“I have my legal advice on this, and I believe the speaker’s would not be much different.

“That is why I am meeting him to discuss these, because it is important we interpret the laws correctly and set the right precedent.

“The laws may still require MPs to vote on important bills through party resolutions, and we need to set the ground rules for this in this sitting, given what has happened,” Somare said.

Under the integrity law, MPs must show their vote through a party resolution when voting on the budget, or a vote for the prime minister, including a vote of no-confidence. It was not very clear if this law had been struck down by the court, or was still intact, or was provided for in the standing orders of parliament.

As Somare got off the Qantas plane at the Cairns airport, PNG Party leader Belden Namah and Bulolo MP Sam Basil were checking in to catch the Air Niugini flight back to Port Moresby after meeting the speaker.

Namah declined to give details of his meeting with Nape.

 

 

Aussies close border but send aid to Daru

THE Daru Island cholera outbreak is preventing travel from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait under provisions of the Torres Strait Treaty, Radio Australia reported yesterday, The National reports.

It said Australia’s department of foreign affairs had restricted travel under the treaty until further notice because of the outbreak on the island.

Yesterday, PNG health officials confirmed the death toll at 16 and had a chartered plane travelling from Port Moresby, with officers from the Health Department, World Health Organisation and AusAID, to distribute emergency medical aid and assess the situation.

More than 300 people were confirmed to have been affected by the disease and 70 admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Last night, there was unconfirmed report that the death toll might have reached 22.

The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that Australia was rushing medical supplies and aid to Daru.

It said that medicine and intravenous fluid, to treat dehydration associated with the deadly disease, was being stockpiled on the Queensland side of the strait.

Daru is about 4km off the PNG mainland and only 50km from the nearest Australian island of Saibai.

The newspaper quoted medical staff at the 60-bed Daru General Hospital describing horrific scenes, and pleaded for Australian help.

It quoted local Catholic priest Vinod D’Mello saying that sick people lay in the hospital’s corridors because all the beds were taken.

“There are two or three more deaths every day,” he said.

“I can hear the crying from the hospital when I am in the church.

“(The staff) are trying their best, but it is a tragic situation.”

Nurse Dawe Tuti said the hospital’s two doctors and other medical staff were running off their feet.

“We do not have enough manpower,” she told The Australian.

“The Australian government stands ready to provide additional assistance to the PNG government to respond to the outbreak as needed,” an AusAID spokeswoman said. “At this stage, no formal request for assistance has been made.”

Queensland health communicable diseases branch senior director Christine Selvey said: “Even though the cholera outbreak has now spread to Daru, it is exceedingly unlikely that cholera could spread locally within north Queensland.

“Hygiene and food preparation practices in the Torres Strait are good; there is ready access to safe-drinking water and there is safe disposal of human wastes.”

MRDC acquires Hevi Lift for LNG project ops

MINERAL Resources Development Co (MRDC) has acquired Hevi Lift (PNG) Pty Ltd and contracted to ExxonMobil for LNG-related aviation services, The National reports.

MRDC managing director Augustine Mano revealed this last week during the launching of MRDC’s website (http:www.mrdc.com.pg).

However, Mano did not disclose the cost of acquiring the aviation company, which took place last December.

Mano said the acquisition of Hevi Lift’s 50% shareholding was through a consortium of Mineral Resources Star Mountain, Petroleum Resources Kutbu, Petroleum Resources Gobe and Petroleum Resources Moran.

He also disclosed raising K250 million to buy MRDC’s stake on behalf of the landowners companies in the PNG LNG project.

Mano said the company had opened up  several  offices offshore, making MRDC the first multinational company collectively owned by resource-owners to have established offices abroad.

“We will be the first multinational company to have established offices in Indonesia, Shangai in China and Myanmar, with Thailand to follow suit.

“From an initial K600 million in 2008 since the transfer of the State equity interest for Eda Oil to Petromin and withdrawal of Mineral Resource Lihir, MRDC has now K1.2 billion in assets and investment portfolio,” Mano said.

Acknowledging the MRDC challenges ahead, he said his management and board were determined and positive to deliver benefits that were required and expected from.

 

 

Baki ousted

Tony Wagambie in as acting commissioner

 

POLICE in the nation’s capital was placed on full alert last night after the National Executive Council suspended Police Commissioner Gari Baki, The National reports.

The government moved quickly to replace him, naming veteran cop Tony Wagambie acting police commissioner and Fred Yakasa as deputy.

The NEC, in making the move, also ordered investigations into his conduct as police chief in the past four years.

Baki is under suspension with full pay until the investigations are completed.

Baki’s job was on the line after Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare removed Police Minister Sani Rambi and replaced him with Mark Maipakai.

In documents leaked to the media, the prime minister had accused Baki and Rambi of misleading senior members of cabinet into getting K10 million approved for LNG operations.

After transferring Rambi from police to the labour portfolio, the prime minister wrote to Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill to prepare papers to replace Baki.

The letter to O’Neill stated reasons that the commissioner had allowed the police force to run down and there was a general breakdown in law and order.

Baki had responded last Friday, categorically denying the allegations that he had misled the prime minister and senior cabinet ministers.

He said in his briefing to cabinet that the withdrawal of police personnel did not affect the whole of the LNG project areas, but only in Kopi, Kikori and Gobe.

The main reason was on logistics difficulties that police were experiencing for the whole LNG project, and it was necessary to secure additional funding from the government in addition to what Esso Highlands was providing for operational work, which was outside the agreed arrangements covered in a memorandum of understanding.

Baki’s brief also explained that by solely relying on the funding provided by the LNG developer would create a notion, or allow people to form opinions, that the deployment of the police mobile squads to the LNG project sites was merely a private security arrangement for the project.

He stated it also questioned the constitutional independence of the police force.

Factions within the police force received news of the suspension of Baki with mixed reactions.

One group mobilised last night on Burns Peak, ready to move into a deserted police headquarters at Konedobu.

Security was also stepped up for senior cabinet ministers and the prime minister amid the reported build-up of tension last night.

 

 

Pala: Motion to vote out PM not on paper

THE vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, promised by the opposition, may not take placeon Tuesday, The National reports.

Justice Minister and Attorney-General Ano Pala said the 2011 budget and the 2010 supplementary budget would take precedence over all other parliamentary business next Tuesday.

Finance and Treasury had issued a “budget lock-up” statement for the media from 10am to 2pm when parliament resumes.

Finance, Treasury and Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill, when contacted last night, said the budget had been approved by cabinet and he looked forward to introducing it next Tuesday.

O’Neill declined to give details on next year’s budget, claiming that key areas such as the medium-term development plan, district service improvement programme (DSIP) and other government priorities would be addressed.

Pala said as far as he was concerned, there was no notice of a vote of no-confidence before the house.

“At the moment, there is no notice of vote of no-confidence before parliament.”

The attorney-general and justice minister said the meeting of parliament on Tuesday was specifically called to introduce next year’s budget.

“We are not privy to any information that comes up, and we are not aware of any notice of the vote becoming a property of parliament,” he said.

Pala said the budget would be handed down next Tuesday, and that would be the main agenda for the government.

“Parliament will resume on Tuesday for the handing down of the 2011 budget, and we have to wait for what comes out in the notice paper.”

He said the 11 Southern region MPs had declared their loyalty to the prime minister in passing bills in parliament.

Pala said: “We will be voting together with the government.

“We are now a family of 11 MPs who are members of NA.”

A senior parliament source stated last night that there was no notice of a motion before parliament at this stage and the session next Tuesday was restricted to the budget.

“It all depends on the government to suspend standing orders to introduce the budget.

“In all democracies, it is all about the numbers game.”

The source said private business committees always seat in on Wednesdays to consider notices and petitions to be brought before the house in any session.

“The vote of no-confidence notice has not come to the attention of parliament and the committee.”

 

 

Daru cholera claims 16, 70 admitted

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE death toll from cholera on Daru Island in Western and nearby mainland villages has climbed to 16, The National reports.

Daru General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Amos Lano gave the updated figure yesterday, saying four deaths were reported at the Fly River village of Kenediba and one more in Daru.

He said, however, that the Kenediba deaths could not be confirmed as cholera-linked although patients reported acute watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Lano said the situation in Daru appeared to be under control and, so far, only one person was admitted on Tuesday night.

He said since the first case of acute watery diarrhoea was reported in Daru on Oct 15, more than 250 people had been treated at the hospital, 70 were admitted while 16 – mostly children and the elderly – were now confirmed dead.

Lano said most deaths were from the waterfront areas, an indication that the sickness was suspected to have spread to other areas on the mainland.

Meanwhile, health authorities in the Australian state of Queensland were monitoring a cholera outbreak, Radio Australia reported yesterday.

Queensland health said it had alerted staff at clinics on islands in the Torres Strait to be on the lookout for anyone with the symptoms.

Radio Australia quoted Dr Steven Donohue as saying that there was no real risk of it spreading further.

“It is not to say there will not ever be a case but, even if there was, provided that they got to medical care in time, then, there really will not be much of a concern,” he said.

“The conditions are completely different in the Torres Strait islands of Australia.

“The conditions for the spread of the disease are just not there.

“Very little of the disease is spread person to person and most of it is through dirty food and water and the environment.”

Donohue said the islands had excellent clean water supplies, food and sanitation as well as health services that could deal with any cases if they arose.

 

 

Health officials condemn Baisu

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

 

HEALTH officials from Western Highlands inspected the Baisu jail yesterday and declared it unsafe for human habitation, The National reports.

They recommended the immediate closure of this jail.

They confirmed that dysentery was the cause of the death of three prisoners last week. Many other prisoners had become ill through using contaminated water.

Prisoners demanded a transfer to other prisons in the region in fear of getting infected. Failure by the prison officials to move them had led to the breakout last Friday, in which prison guards allegedly shot dead six escaping prisoners.

Director medical service of Mt Hagen General Hospital Dr Michael Dokup said yesterday that the jail was unfit to keep prisoners and recommended that all remaining prisoners be transferred to other jails.

Dokup said, during their visit, they discovered that there was no water in the jail for cooking and drinking.

He said the prisoners used contaminated water from the drain for their daily needs.

He said sanitation and hygiene of the jail was very poor and not fit for human beings to live.

To illustrate his point, Dokup said even a pig locked up in the jail would die because of the appalling conditions.

He said the sewage system of the jail was blocked and sewage was overflowing into gardens and drains.

He said it was clear the supply of fresh clean water was the jail’s biggest problem.

Dokup slammed comments by Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo and Commissioner Richard Sikani that the shooting was justified.

He said the two should visit Baisu and see for themselves the conditions there.

Dokup said he was puzzled at claims in the media by Aimo and Sikani that health workers visited the jail and fumigated facilities in there and collected samples for clinical tests.

He said nothing like that had happened.

Aimo: Prison shooting okay

CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Tony Aimo and Commissioner Richard Sikani yesterday defended the shooting of prisoners at the Baisu jail outside Mt Hagen last week, The National reports.

The shooting of the prisoners, apparently by warders, led to the death of seven prisoners.

It appeared that the prisoners were shot at without any warning shots being fired first, prompting calls for an inquiry into the killings.

A relative of an inmate who died claimed his brother, a remandee, was shot in the head.

But Aimo and Sikani yesterday said the warders acted within their rights and there was no need for an investigation.

Sikani stressed that it was now a coroner’s case that would require a coronial inquest into the incident.

He said there would be no internal investigation.

Aimo backed his commissioner, saying the CS officers did their mandated responsibilities in the course of duty.

The minister said the actions of the CS officers also prevented the mass escape of all 400 prisoners held at Baisu jail.

He also slammed critics who have been opposing his plan to bring in non-lethal weapons from a manufacturer in Australia for the Correctional Services.

This would cost the CS K9 million, money many critics said should have been used to improve conditions at Baisu and other jails in the country.

“If I had non-lethal weapons, these escapees will not have been killed,” Aimo said in defence of the use of firearms by warders.

On the mystery illness that killed three prisoners, and caused the prisoners to break out last Friday, Aimo said the CS should not be the only government agency to be blamed as there were others that had failed in their duties which contributed to the worsening water situation at Baisu.

Aimo said the water problem at Baisu contributed to dysentery and diarrhoea which led to the earlier deaths of three detainees on Oct 30, last Tuesday and last Wednesday at the Mt Hagen General Hospital.

He said the Correctional Services was doing everything to address the issues including transferring 50 inmates to Barawagi in Chimbu and 20 to BuiIebu in the Southern Highlands. It had also brought in a contractor to look at the water problems.

He said health officers also visited the jail and fumigated detainee facilities twice for a number of days and collected samples for clinical tests while PNG Waterboard and CS contractors were working on the water lines to restore water.

An internal memo from the deputy commissioner operations, Henry Wavik, said last Friday at 4pm, detainees in the maximum security compound collaborated and, in fear of contracting the diseases after seeing 21 detainees hospitalised and three dead, scaled the fence.

The memo said 57 escaped with CS officers in pursuit recapturing 31, five were shot dead instantly while 12 were seriously wounded.

Twenty-six are still at large.

Reports said those killed included one each from Tari, Laiagam and Wabag with two from Mt Hagen.