Hidden Valley landowners see first fruits of mine agreement

Nauti landowners in Hidden Valley, Morobe province, are now seeing the fruits of a benefit sharing agreement (BSA) signed between them, landowner association Nakuwi, and mine owners Newcrest and Harmony, The National reports.

 Five months after the BSA, two of the mine landowner villages have now received the first lot of benefits from that agreement.

 Last Friday, the Nauti people received an Isuzu truck and walkabout sawmill through the BSA under the Hidden Valley Mine Benefit Sharing Trust (HVMBST). 

 Excited Nauti villagers beside the new truck

Winima landowners were the first to receive similar items a week earlier.

 At the presentation held at the village, government, HiddenValley mine representatives, community and Nakuwi leaders encouraged the people to take care of the properties and use them for the intended purpose of improving and developing their villages.

 The truck and sawmill was the result of the signing of the trust deed in late 2011 following extensive consultation with the Nakuwi Association and mine area community leaders.

 The purpose of the trust is to provide additional socio-economic benefits to the mine landowning communities of Nauti, Kwembu and Winima, (Nakuwi), which are tied to the continuing successful operation of the Hidden Valley Mine.

 Starting with an initial contribution of K3 million, trust proceeds will be used on community infrastructure, capacity building, education, training, community development and business development projects and programmes nominated by the respective village planning  committees.

 Ongoing funding to the trust is anticipated to be approximately K1.5 million per annum based on fixed and variable amounts tied to mine revenues.

 The trust is governed by a board of consisting of representatives from the Nakuwi Association; Nauti, Kwembu, and Winima villages; Morobe provincial government; Mineral Resources Authority; and Hidden Valley Joint Venture, operator of the mine.

Pioneer kiap (patrol officer) Lloyd Hurrell dies

Lloyd Hurrell, the last of the pre World War 11 kiaps (patrol officers) in New Guinea died peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Lloyd Hurrell,

His funeral will be at 11am on June 4, 2012 at Tweed Heads Crematorium.
Hurrell was the last of the pre WW11 kiaps- and one with an exemplary record.
Later a pioneer coffee-planter at Wau in the 1950s, he was one of the founders of the old Coffee Industry Board -  the boardroom at the present Coffee Industry Corporation building in Goroka is named after him.
Hurrell is survived by his wife and three children.
Son Don is one of the few AusAid consultants serving in PNG who can be said to have made a real difference by his presence ( as a police advisor in Goroka where Bob Cleland undoubtedly met him recently).
Hurrell had been in ill health since a fall resulting in a broken hip some months ago.
He remained weak and unwell after discharge from hospital and died peacefully, at home, last Tuesday afternoon.
In 1939, (Albert) Lloyd Hurrell applied for the position of cadet patrol officer advertised in Sydney newspapers.
After serving briefly as a kiap in New Guinea, Hurrell joined the Australian Military Forces in 1940.
 He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on November 11,  1942 during fierce fighting after the recapture of Kokoda.

After WW11, Hurrell returned to kiap duties in New Guinea.
In 1950 he was appointed Acting District Officer of the Menyamya district, and was instructed to establish a new settlement at this remote post in the ‘uncontrolled’ area.
The following year, Hurrell was ordered to investigate a raid on the village of Kiatsong during which several people were killed.
While investigating the raid, Hurrell’s party was attacked.
 He fired a warning shot, which unfortunately killed one of the attacking men.
Hurrell resigned from his kiap duties in 1954, and established a farm and coffee plantation near Wau in the province of Morobe.
 He entered national politics in Papua New Guinea, and served for many years as President of the PNG Coffee Marketing Board.
 In 1969 Hurrell was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the Board.

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

Some things will never change!
And we'll continue to wallow in a quagmire of our own buai pepkpek as seen along Waigani Drive this morning.

Things that make you go 'yuck'!

Buai sellers outside BSP Waigani yesterday



A sick looking drum!



Filthy walkways!

Look down on the pavement!



Wallowing through buai pekpek!




A case of 'all sell, no clean'!



The last word: Port Moresby is the filthiest capital city in the world because of its people!

A bird's eye view of Port Moresby

A bird's eye view of Downtown Port Moresby this morning, as seen from the 10th floor of Deloitte's Tower yesterday morning, when I was having a chat and a cup of coffee with BAT corporate affairs manager Ako Toua.

PNG calls state of emergency in capital

By EION BLACKWELL of AAP

.PAPUA New Guinea MPs have voted to declare a state of emergency in the nation's capital after rogue police officers surrounded Parliament House.
If adopted, the emergency rule would give increased powers to PNG's police commissioner to arrest and detain.
The leader of government business, Moses Maladina, put the motion yesterday at a special sitting of Parliament and it is expected to come into force today.
The government also voted to reject the decision of three Supreme Court judges to reinstate Sir Michael Somare as the nation's leader.
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said cabinet would meet last night to prepare advice for Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio, who must approve the state of emergency.
Mr O'Neill said the state of emergency would be extended to trouble spots such as the Southern Highlands and Hela province, site of a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas project.
''This has never happened in our country since the Sandline crisis of 1996,'' Mr O'Neill told reporters, referring to the splinter group of police who surrounded Parliament House yesterday.
The Sandline affair brought down the government of Sir Julius Chan after he used private military contractors to resolve the Bougainville dispute.
''These actions are of a criminal nature,'' Mr O'Neill said.
''I want to stress here that we will do all our best so that we do not infringe on the rights of citizens.
"The movement of Papua New Guineans must be free and fair, so there will be no obstruction by the police in enforcing that [state of] emergency.''
About 30 police officers blockaded the road to Parliament House with rocks yesterday and said they were refusing to let Mr O'Neill's government hold a special sitting of parliament until after elections, which begin on June 23 and run for two weeks.
The government says the men were loyal to Fred Yakasa, the man appointed police commissioner by Sir Michael Somare in December when the Supreme Court first ruled he should be reinstated as PM.
The men cleared out after speaking with Assistant Police Commissioner Francis Tokura.
''The last thing we wanted was to see bloodshed among our own men,'' Mr Tokura said.
In what is becoming almost standard practice in Port Moresby, the unexpected blockade briefly flashed white-hot when more than 40 heavily armed police set up a staging area around the corner from the splinter group.
After about 20 minutes, however, an officer was heard to shout ''saddle up, we're out of here'' before the armed officers left in a convoy of 15 cars.
About 30 minutes later, the roadblock outside Parliament was lifted.
The incident came after police, led by Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, on Thursday arrested and charged the nation's Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, with sedition.
At a brief committal hearing in court yesterday, Sir Salamo sat silent as the charges against him were read out. Magistrate Cosmos Bidar charged that Sir Salamo and another judge, Nicholas Kirriwom, conspired ''to conduct a seditious enterprise against the state''.
Sir Salamo was one of the three judges who on Monday ruled that ousted leader Sir Michael Somare was the nation's legitimate prime minister and not Mr O'Neill, who was elected PM by a parliamentary majority last year.
Hearing of the case against Sir Salamo was adjourned to July 25.

State of emrgency declared in 3 PNG provinces

A state of emergency has been declared in three provinces by the Peter O'Neill government,
The state of emergency has been declared for National Capital District, Southern Highlands and Hela provinces.
Police have greater powers under the state of emergency for next month's elections.

Parliament had sufficient numbers to form a quorim this afternoon, at which the state of emergency was declared.

 

Building the Kassam Pass road in 1953

By MALUM NALU
 
Whenever I drive along Kassam Pass, Eastern Highland province, I always make it a point to stop at the Rupert Haviland Memorial Lookout on the top.
Gazing down on the magnificent panorama of the great Markham Valley below, is a sight that always fills me with awe, and the words of one of my favorite poems, Requiem, by Robert Louis Stevenson, come to mind immediately.

More so, because I’m standing at the memorial of young Haviland, who built this road linking the port of Lae with the Highlands as a 21-year-old kiap (patrol officer) in 1953.

Rubert Haviland Memorial on Kassam Pass.-Pictures by AKEMI MIKATA

Magnificent panorama of the Markham Valley as seen from Kassam Pass

“Under the wide and starry sky


Dig the grave and let me lie:


Glad did I live and gladly I die,


And I laid me down with a will.

 

This be the verse you grave for me:


Here he lies where he long'd to be;


Home is the sailor; home from the sea,


And the hunter home from the hill."

Since I first travelled the Highlands Highway from Goroka to Lae with my father, the late Mathias Nalu just before independence in 1975 as a seven-year-old, I have always been fascinated by this bik rot (big road).
One of the things that touched me then, and does to this day, was when we stood at the Rupert Havilland Memorial Lookout on top of Kassam Pass, and gazed down into the magnificent panorama spread out from the Markham Valley of Morobe province to the towering Finisterre Range.
Havilland was only 21 when he supervised of the construction of the Kassam Pass Road, but upon return to Australia, died at a very young age and his ashes were returned to New Guinea to be scattered over the Kassam Pass.
In 1952, legendary Eastern Highlands District Commissioner (DC) Ian Downs had promised Brigadier Donald Cleland, the new administrator, that he would finish the Kassam Pass road by July 1953.
“Give me 300 shovels and six months and I’ll finish it by the first of July (1953),” Downs told Cleland.
Former kiap Bob Cleland, a son of Administrator Cleland, who worked with Haviland on part of the Kassam Pass and later supervised building of the Daulo Pass, writes in his book Big Road that his friend died unexpectedly of complications following pneumonia while on leave in Australia.
“At his request, Rupe’s ahes were scattered over Kassam Pass,” he writes.
“A stumpy concrete obelisk with an engraved brass plate has been placed there ‘by his friends’.”
Cleland writes that Haviland was known as ‘Young Rupe’ to distinguish him from his kiap father, also known as Rupe.
“Rupe’s father had started his services in 1929 and continued through the war until his retirement in the late 1940s,” Cleland writes.
“Rupe was therefore born and brought up in New Guinea, and his father’s experience as a police officer, army officer and kiap throughout the 1930s and 1940s was a significant influence.
“In fact, Rupe seemed very much a 1930s-style kiap rather than a 1950s one – his attitude towards the village people was paternalistic and tough; he felt that he needed to maintain strong discipline and demonstrate clearly that he was the boss; and he could harangue and cajole an assembly of villagers with a command of colloquial Pidgin and an understanding of his audience that would take me years to master.
“His rapport with people was strong, and the local people liked and respected him.
“Rupe Havilland was highly active, putting a lot of emotional energy into everything he did.
“He was tough on himself and happy to live rough.
“When I first met him, his health was temporarily fragile because of frequent attacks of debilitating malaria but on the whole, he was very fit.
“I was a little alarmed when I discovered that he treated any ailments himself.
“As soon as a cut or leech bite looked like becoming infected – a frequent occurrence – he would self-inject the penicillin he’d persuaded an air post orderly to give him.”
In those days, PNG’s immense mountain barriers inhibited road building but the need to develop the Highlands meant that a road down to the headwaters of the Markham River and then on to the north coast port of Lae was vital.
“The existing Markham Valley track from Lae was passable for about 40 kilometres,” Cleland writes.
“The next 100 kilometres of track to the wartime strip of Gusap near the Markham headwaters was virtually non-existent.
“And there was no link to the Highlands towns of Goroka and Mount Hagen.”
This was the Kassam Pass road that Havilland supervised building of using local labour, prisoners from Kainantu gaol, ace bridge and culvert builder Ludi Schmidt, and paramount luluai Anarai, a local village elder of the people between Kassam and Kainantu
On July 1, 1953, Administrator Cleland, his wife Rachael, Acting Director of the Department of District Services Alan Roberts, and two men with historical connections to Kassam, Tom Aitcheson (now District Commissioner in Lae), and Gerry Toogood (immediate past Assistant District Officer at Kainantu), flew from Lae to Gusap.
From there, three Land Rovers began the climb up Kassam Pass.
Kassam Pass – the road into the Higlands dreamed of by many, rejected as impossible by others – was now open for traffic.

Gulf LNG project ‘great opportunity’ for province

By MALUM NALU
Development of the Gulf LNG project will be the “greatest development opportunity in the history of the Gulf province”, according to InterOil corporate affairs manager Kevin Byrne, The National reports.
He said the project would go ahead despite “grenades” being hurled at it, an apparent allusion to continuous criticisms of InterOil as well as the government threats to terminate the Gulf LNG Project Agreement of December 23, 2009.
InterOil is developing the Triceratops-2 appraisal well in Gulf province, along with earlier discoveries by the company in the adjacent Elk/Antelope structure.
“All parties—the project, national government, provincial and LLGs (local level governments) - must accept and take ownership of their legislated responsibilities,” Byrne said in a presentation at last Friday’s mining and petroleum workshop for PNG media,

Landowner liaison talks in Gulf province

“All parties need to heed the experience of other large scale resource projects.
“That suggests that many potential benefits do not occur and do not benefit the broader community and there is overwhelming evidence that new approaches are needed to effectively utilise resource revenues.
“A proactive approach is required if social risks are to be effectively managed.
“All responsibilities need be documented and agreed prior to project start and need articulation at the LBSA (landowner benefit sharing agreement) phase.”
Main components of the project are production and preparation of gas at the Elk and Antelope gas fields, transportation of the gas and condensate over a 120km pipeline, liquefaction of the gas, and shipment of the gas and condensate.
Byrne said the current situation in the project area was that most people lived along the coast and rivers; provincial and LLG’s had low capacity and no resources; very few income earning opportunities; strong subsistence base (sago, fishing, hunting, gardens); appalling state of health and education facilities; and basic housing, no or limited electricity and sanitation and poor transport.
He said social and economic impacts would be enormous, including:

• Income levels would increase dramatically;

• Potential for improved access, public infrastructure, services and commercial activities;

• Potential for improved housing and living conditions and government services;

• Substantial in-migration;

• Social tension and conflict—land ownership, benefit sharing arrangements, distribution and inequality;

• Adverse social change;

• Increases in communicable diseases;

• Large scale potential to fuel corruption and PS inefficiency.

Highlands Pacific welcomes new copper-gold discovery

Highlands Pacific managing director John Gooding has welcomed the presence of a new copper-gold discovery in the Star Mountains, Western province, near the established Ok Tedi copper-gold mine, The National reports.
The final assays from its 14-hole diamond drilling programme at the Olgal prospect returned the highest copper and gold grades to date of 294 metres at 0.67% copper and 1.16 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 320 metres.
“This hole is quite a surprise and the grade exceptional and more than justifies the effort and resources that we have expended at Star Mountains in the last two years” Gooding said.
“There is no doubt that this is a new copper-gold porphyry province close to the established infrastructure of the Ok Tedi Mine.”
“Importantly, with each hole we are increasing our conceptual understanding of the area and the interplay between the more than a dozen targets we have in mind to test”
“Drilling at Olgal has stopped for now with the rigs now located at the Futik and Pad48 prospects.
“Based on the Olgal results, we look forward to results from these and the next drill target at Rattatat in the coming months.
“Of the 14 hole programme at Olgal, 12 have encountered copper and gold mineralisation.”
Star Mountains leases, which include Nong River EL (exploration license) 1312, Mt Scorpion EL1781 and Tifalmin EL 1392, are located approximately 20km north of the Ok Tedi Mine.
These prospects lie within the highly prospective New Guinean Orogenic Belt, home to deposits like Grasberg, Ok Tedi, Frieda, Porgera and Hidden Valley.
A drilling programme is underway with some significant copper-gold intersections reported.

PNG police, army leave parliament area

AAP

A blockade at Papua New Guinea's Parliament House has ended after a rogue group of about 30 police officers blockaded the road to Parliament House with rocks this morning and told AAP they were refusing to let the government of Peter O'Neill hold a special sitting of parliament.
The men cleared out after speaking with Assistant Police Commissioner Francis Tokura.
"The last thing we wanted was to see bloodshed among our own men," Mr Tokura said.
 "We are very grateful we were able to sort it without bloodshed.
"The only important thing that was expressed by the men at Parliament House is they want an election for PNG."
Mr Tokura said he shared their view that getting PNG to the June poll was of extreme importance.
In what is becoming almost standard practice in Port Moresby, the unexpected blockade briefly flashed white hot when more than 40 heavily armed police set up a staging area around the corner from the splinter group.
After about 20 minutes, however, an officer was heard to shout "saddle up, we're out of here" before the armed officers left in a convoy of 15 cars.
About 30 minutes later, the roadblock outside parliament was lifted.
AAP understands members of parliament are now entering the building, where a special sitting is expected to be held so MPs can deal with a controversial court decision reappointing ousted PM Sir Michael Somare to the top job.
The incident was sparked after police, led by Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, arrested and charged the nation's chief justice, Sir Salamo Injia, with sedition on Thursday.
At a brief committal hearing in court on Friday, Sir Salamo sat silent as the charges against him were read out.
Magistrate Cosmos Bidar charged that Sir Salamo and another judge, Nicholas Kirriwom, conspired "to conduct a seditious enterprise against the state".
Sir Salamo was one of three judges who on Monday ruled ousted leader Sir Michael was the nation's legitimate prime minister and not Mr O'Neill, who was elected PM by a parliamentary majority last year.
Mr O'Neill's government alleges the court is biased and is trying to interfere with the upcoming June elections.
Last week, an email exchange allegedly between Sir Salamo and Justice Kirriwom referred to the O'Neill government as "illegal".
The emails were sent in February, while the pair were conducting hearings into the government's legitimacy.
Hearing of the case against Sir Salamo was adjourned to July 25.
Meanwhile, Sir Michael has issued a statement saying he has begun campaigning on behalf of his National Alliance party. However, it is unclear if the 76-year-old will stand for re election.
The PNG Electoral Commission has told AAP ballot boxes sent from China have been delivered to Port Moresby

Yandera mine study due next month

By MALUM NALU

A feasibility study on the world-class Yandera copper mine in Madang province, one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in the Asia-Pacific, is expected to be completed by next month, The National reports.

Developer Marengo Mining, in its latest update released this week, also announced that work was progressing on a formal construction agreement with China Nonferrous (NFC), for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to be signed by the fourth quarter of this year.

“The feasibility study is continuing in parallel with the production of information required for the various mining and environmental permits,” Marengo said in its March quarterly report.

“On March 5, 2012, the environmental inception report (EIR), which is the precursor to the environmental impact statement (EIS) was filed with the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation.”

The EPC contract will be entered into during Q4-2012, following receipt of the EPC pricing from NFC.

“Under this arrangement, Marengo will appoint NFC as the principal contractor, under a turnkey, lump sum contract which will activate NFC's role to facilitate financing for the Yandera Project, for at least 70% of the project development costs, through its nominated Chinese financial institution,” the quarterly report said.

 “Marengo has engaged Standard Bank to advise in this process.”

Yandera, 95km south-west of Madang town, is hailed as a major copper producer in the making with its value underpinned by a world-class resource base at Yandera Central.

Marengo also announced:

·         Drilling would continue;  

·         PNG government participation was anticipated ;

·         Discussions were advancing with Chinese banks for project financing ;

·         Standard Bank had been appointed as debt adviser ; and

·         Exploration programmes were underway to target other identified mineral prospects.

According to the updated Yandera development timeline, production was scheduled to start in 2016.

This will be preceded by completion of feasibility study and fixed price EPC contract from NFC this year; mining approvals, environmental approval and complete project financing by third quarter of 2013; complete construction by third quarter of 2015; and commissioning in fourth quarter of 2015.

Belden Namah on arrest of Chief Justice

The whole statement is quoted verbatim

Today (Thursday) at 2pm the Police and Army entered the Supreme Court to arrest the Chief Justice on charges under the Criminal Code including breaches of Sections 54, 56 and 57 of the Code, being Sedition, Interference with Government Ministers and Interference with the Legislature.
Complaints were made to Police early this week concerning the Chief Justice, due to the statements made by the Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika and Justice Sakora concerning the lack of judicial integrity of the Chief Justice and his compromise of the Court Bench. 

Belden Namah

The two Judges refused to deliver a decision in the Special Reference concerning the questions of legitimacy of government on the basis that:-
a) Members of the Supreme Court Bench were effected by judicial bias,  and

b) Members of the Supreme Court Bench brought the integrity of the Supreme Court into question, and

c) The Supreme Court Bench was compromised and that a proper decision in accordance with law and untainted by bias was not possible.

The Chief Justice, Justice Kirriwom and Justice Gavara Nanu delivered their decisions despite the statements by the two most senior Judges on the Supreme Court.
Many persons in the media including prominent constitutional lawyer Loani Henao promptly called on the three remaining Judges to resign, given their clear lack of independence and integrity on the case. The Deputy Prime Minister in a press statement advised the three Judges that they had 24 hours to resign or to face arrest for sedition.
The Chief Justice reacted to this by issuing a Warrant of Arrest for the Deputy Prime Minister to be arrested and brought to the Supreme Court at 1.30pm today to be dealt with for contempt.
Police determined to act on the complaints against the Chief Justice and arrest him today and attended at the Supreme Court at 1.30pm along with the Deputy Prime Minister. On entering the Court room to arrest the Chief Justice, when the Chief Justice heard he was about to be arrested and he fled from the Court room and locked himself in his Chambers. The Director of Police Prosecutions and Assistant Commissioner Thomas Eluh negotiated with the Chief Justice to leave the Chambers.
The Deputy Prime Minister has said “Enough is Enough. The Chief Justice has ignored the proper exercise by the National Executive Council and the Governor General of their Constitutional powers for his suspension, and avoided the suspension by issuing a permanent Order to stay his own suspension."

Longtime PNG resident to contest Moresby South

Simon Merton, has nominated to contest the Moresby South seat.

 Merton, 41, a senior manager with Hebou Construction who has spent his entire life in PNG, is a member of Gary Juffa’s People’s Movement for Change.

 Merton and fellow candidates Albert Uru (Rigo), Labi Amaiu (Moresby North East), Juffa (Oro Regional,) and Rawali Bokuik (Moresby North West) nominated this week

Simon Merton (second from right) with fellow People’s Movement for Change candidates (from left) Albert Uru (Rigo), Labi Amaiu (Moresby North East), Juffa (Oro Regional,) and Rawali Bokuik (Moresby North West).

He grew up In Port Moresby, Lae and Madang, completed my primary school at the then Ela Beach Primary School and went on to complete high school at both Port Moresby and Lae International high schools.

  Merton has spent the last 25 years working both within the government and private sectors here in PNG and has nine children.

 “After many years of watching my beloved country deteriorate in front of my eyes, I have decided that I can no longer just sit back and watch,” he said.

 “I have a responsibility to our children, to our grand children, to all of our people, to stand up and try and do what I can.

 “I can no longer just watch in despair, I have to do something. 

 “I am not a wealthy business man; I am a working class family man who has had enough.

 “I will not be conducting a ‘lamb flaps and beer’ campaign that you may expect from other candidates, I do not have bucket loads of money to buy votes with.

 “What I do have is a heart and conscious for our people.

 “I am not going to make you extravagant undeliverable promises.
“All I can offer you is a promise that I will do my best to do everything I can do for the benefit of our people.

 “I will fight tooth and nail for our people.

 “I am tired of watching our people suffer at the hands of a corrupt few.” 

PNG's top judge arrested in new political crisis

(Reuters) - Police in Papua New Guinea stormed the Supreme Court in the capital and arrested the nation's top judge on sedition charges today (Thursday), in response to its ruling that the prime minister held power illegally and should step down.
On the day nominations closed for June elections, police arrested Chief Justice Salamo Injia after the court ruled former leader Michael Somare should be reinstated as prime minister.
Somare and Prime Minister Peter O'Neill have been jostling for power since August 2011, when O'Neill took office after Somare was ruled ineligible to be a lawmaker after a prolonged absence from parliament due to illness.
But the Supreme Court in December ruled Somare should be reinstated, and in another ruling this week the court said Somare should be the caretaker prime minister during the current election period.
O'Neill and his deputy Belden Namah have refused to accept the court ruling, accusing the judges of bias and demanding they resign, extending a prolonged feud with the judiciary.
Namah led armed police who arrived at the court as Injia started hearing today, forcing the judge to run to his secure chambers, where he remained holed up for several hours.
In a brief statement, he told reporters he would not be forced out of his job. "I've done nothing wrong. I will not resign," he said.
Injia was charged with sedition late today, and was released on bail. He was due to appear in court tomorrow (Friday).
The dramatic development comes after months of political uncertainty in Papua New Guinea, a resource-rich and often volatile nation of around 6.5 million people where 85 percent live a subsistence life in tropical villages.
O'Neill, who has the support of the majority of PNG's lawmakers, has attempted to recall parliament to deal with the latest court finding, but he has failed to muster a quorum three days in a row. Most lawmakers are in their electorates campaigning for the elections.
Somare, meanwhile, has written to PNG's media, warning they could be held in contempt if they do not recognise him as the legitimate prime minister.
Somare has also twice attempted to visit the country's governor-general to be sworn in as caretaker prime minister, in line with the Supreme Court rulings, but the titular head of state has refused to intervene.
PNG has vast mineral resources but struggles to pass on the benefits to its people. U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil is developing a $15.7 billion liquefied natural gas plant in PNG, the country's biggest-ever resource project

Prayer of St Francis for PNG

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

Old habits die hard! 
We may have so much money but PNG will never develop unless people stop the buai pekpek and general littering.
 And this doesn't cost anything!
Right now, keeping Port Moresby and PNG clean will do more for the health of PNG than all these political gobbledegook flying around!

This is the perennial 'Baruni Dump' in front of Mobil Service Station, Waigani!

Things that make you go 'yuck'!

Poor fella doing his best to clean up BSP Waigani, however, it'll be painted red before the end of the day!

Outside BSP Waigani!

Till hell freezeth over before this buai pekpek is cleaned!