Let's respect and follow the Constitution and laws

Statement by the Leader of the Opposition Rt Hon Mekere Morauta KCMG MP

 

 

The Supreme Court, in ordering the recall of Parliament, has given the Government and all Members of Parliament an opportunity to make amends, to correct illegal decisions and unlawful practices. 

I appeal to all Members of Parliament to seize this opportunity.

 Let us start 2011 in a way different from recent years.

 Let us start by respecting and following the Constitution.

Three constitutional issues are of relevance to the sitting of Parliament that commences on January 11, 2011:

1.      Election of the Governor-General

2.      Motion of No Confidence

3.      Parliamentary Sitting Days

If the people of Papua New Guinea are to respect the institution of Parliament and Members of Parliament as individuals, it is imperative that Members of Parliament insist on the Constitution being respected and followed in relation to each of these immediate issues during the January 2011 session.

 

1.      Election of the Governor-General

 

The Constitution and the Organic Law on the nomination of Governor-General set out clearly the procedures for Parliament to follow in election of a Governor-General. 

As the Supreme Court has found, in its nullification of the proceedings of June 25, 2010, when the Somare Government announced the appointment of Sir Paulias Matane as Governor-General, the Somare Government breached the Constitution and the Organic Law.

I briefly explain the process to be followed so that members of the public will be able to assess whether the acting Speaker and the Government this time follow, or again break the law, in the conduct of Parliament in this session.

Those seeking to be elected as Governor-General must meet the qualifications set out in Section 87(1) of the Constitution.

A nominee must be a citizen who is:

·        Qualified to be a member of Parliament or remain as a member of Parliament in accordance with Section 103 of the Constitution; and

·        A mature person of good standing who enjoys the general respect of the community.

 

We should note in passing that the third qualification implies that the nominee is not meant to be a party-political nominee, in the way that the National Alliance has unashamedly declared its allegiance to an individual candidate – to the point of jetting delegations around the country carrying bags of rice.

 The second and the third qualifications also imply that the nominee should not be a person who has been found to have broken the law.

Section 88(2) of the Constitution states that the Parliament shall nominate a person for appointment as Governor-General by:

·        A simple majority vote; and

·        In an exhaustive secret ballot.

The process is as follows.  The Speaker (or, in this case, the acting Speaker) must:

1.    Notify the Members of the Parliament of the need to elect a Governor-General;

2.    Fix a date (within 10 days of the notification to Parliament of the vacancy) for the conduct of a ballot to decide the person nominated by Parliament to fill the vacant office; and

3.    Call for nominations to fill the vacancy.

The Organic Law on the Nomination of the Governor-General prescribes a form that the Proposer of a nominee is to fill.

 The Proposer must be a Member of Parliament, and 15 other Members of Parliament must sign the form as supporters of the nominee. 

No Member can support more than one candidate, and the nominee must also sign the form accepting the nomination.

The proposal form must be handed to the Clerk, before the time fixed for the ballot. 

The Clerk has the discretionary power to accept or reject proposal forms that are defective or where he reasonably believes that a proposed candidate is not qualified to be nominated and appointed Governor-General.

There is an argument current in legal circles that Sir Paulias Matane is not qualified to be nominated in January 2011, because he illegally occupied the office of Governor-General from May 26, 2010, illegally received benefits, and failed to vacate Government House by midnight on December 13, 2010, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Even if the Clerk accepts the nomination of Sir Paulias, the proposal has to be in the correct form.

The Clerk must furnish the (acting) Speaker with a list of all candidates for election, so the Speaker may declare the names to the Parliament. 

On the day fixed for the election the Clerk must distribute to each member present in the Parliament a ballot paper in a form he approves.

The ballot is to be an exhaustive secret ballot.

Should Sir Paulias be nominated correctly, and should his nomination be accepted by the Clerk, as a former Governor-General he would still have another step for qualification for the ballot. 

An absolute majority (73) Members of Parliament must agree for him to be eligible to serve a second term.

 

Should 73 Members of Parliament agree for Sir Paulias to be eligible to serve a second term, the Parliament would then proceed to the exhaustive secret ballot, as set out in Sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Organic Law.

 If 73 Members do not agree to Sir Paulias contesting again, his name cannot be put forward in the ballot.

It is in the interests of the people for the Acting Speaker and the Government to allow the Clerk to fulfil his lawful duties and for Parliament to follow the process set out under the Constitution and the Organic Law to elect our next Governor-General at some point during the next 10 days.

It is a secret ballot.

 I appeal to all Members of Parliament to use wisdom and their conscience to vote for a candidate who does not represent narrow political or regional interests, a candidate who is known to be a law-abiding “mature person of good standing who enjoys the general respect of the community”.

 

2.      Motion of No Confidence

 

The second issue of relevance to the January 2011 session of Parliament is the tabling of a motion of no confidence.

The Opposition has publicly announced its intention of forwarding to the Acting Speaker a motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Michael Somare in a manner which entirely conforms with Section 145 of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.

In October and November 2010, I wrote to Speaker Jeffrey Nape requesting clarification of the fact that a Motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 130 and the Constitution must be delivered to the Clerk by the Private Business Committee for inclusion on the Notice Paper.

Speaker Nape’s written reply was:  “As a motion of no-confidence is allowed under the Constitution and is of a substantive nature, the Private Business Committee has a very clear obligation to deliver it to the Clerk.” 

The Speaker further stated that “once the procedural requirements [of Standing Order 22(3)] are met, the Committee clearly has no legal authority to impede the process thereafter”.

It is the view of the Opposition, supported by legal advice, that the Private Business Committee has no power to determine whether a Motion of No Confidence should or should not be voted on. 

The power to make that decision is vested in Parliament, and Parliament alone – not the Speaker, not the Private Business Committee.

Section 11 of the Constitution states that the Constitution is the Supreme Law.

 It is therefore not possible for the Private Business Committee to determine a Motion of No Confidence in a Prime Minister to be of “a parochial nature”. 

Given the primacy of the Constitution, the Private Business Committee must determine that such a Motion is “a matter of national importance”.

 

That is the legal position. 

In addition, there is a very compelling case for a Motion of No Confidence to be tabled as a matter of national importance in January 2011.

In December 2010. the Public Prosecutor wrote to the Chief Justice requesting the establishment of a Leadership Tribunal to hear charges of misconduct in office against the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

That Leadership Tribunal will be established once the Courts resume after the Christmas recess. 

Once the Tribunal is established and the Public Prosecutor then refers the matter to the Tribunal, Michael Somare must, by law, vacate the office of Prime Minister.

 It is not a question of temporarily handing over to a favoured person to “act” while the Tribunal hears the case. 

There will be a vacancy in the office.

The Opposition’s proposed Motion of No Confidence in Prime Minister Somare will state numerous grounds for the people’s loss of confidence in Michael Somare as Prime Minister. 

His failure to submit Leadership Returns for 10 years is only one of the numerous failures cited. 

Others include his wilful breaking of the Constitution and other laws, as set out in the Ombudsman Commission’s Report and the Defence Board of Inquiry into the Moti case; his contemptuous treatment of Parliament by disallowing debate, frequent adjournments and illegal decisions, as the Supreme Court found in the appointment of Sir Paulias as Governor General in June 2010; to name a few.

It is impossible for any person to argue that a Motion of No Confidence in a Prime Minister who has been referred by the Public Prosecutor to the Chief Justice to face leadership charges is not “a matter of national importance”.

I reiterate: A Speaker, Acting Speaker, Private Business Committee, a Prime Minister, Acting Prime Minister or Leader of Government Business, does not have the legal power to prevent tabling of a Motion of No Confidence in the Prime Minister, if it conforms to the provisions of Section 145 of the Constitution and to relevant Standing Orders of the Parliament.

By allowing Parliament to vote on the Opposition’s proposed Motion of No Confidence in Prime Minister Michael Somare, the (acting) Speaker and the Government have a second opportunity in this session of Parliament to demonstrate to the people that they no longer intend to wilfully breach the Constitution.

 

3.      Parliamentary Sitting Days

 

The third issue that the Government has the opportunity to make amends on during this session of Parliament is the duration of the session and subsequent sessions from now to August 2011.

Section 124(1) of the Constitution prescribes that “the Parliament shall ... meet ... for not less than nine weeks in each period (of twelve months)”. 

In 1999 the Supreme Court ruled that the meaning of “nine weeks’ in this context was 63 days and that the ‘parliamentary year’ commenced on the day after the return of writs following a general election.

In the current Parliamentary year, which commenced on August 07, 2010, Parliament has sat for only FOUR days.

In the 2008-2009 parliamentary year, Parliament sat for only 31 days, less than half of the prescribed 63 days.

In the 2009-2010 parliamentary year, Parliament sat for only 35 days, 28 days short of the required 63 days.

When the Government adjourned Parliament on November 25.  2010, the date set for resumption May10, 2011.

Even if Parliament were to sit for FOUR days every week of the 12 weeks from May 10 to August 7, Parliament would only sit for 47 days, making a total of 51 days – again short of the required 63 days.

 So when the Government adjourned Parliament in November to May, it was again in deliberate breach of the Constitution.

We all know the reason that the Government did not want to sit for the first 5 months of this year – to avoid a possible vote of no confidence.

Even when on December 10, 2010, the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to sit within 40 days, the Government tried to avoid this and requested the Acting Speaker to go back to court, arguing that the Court did not have the power to recall Parliament.

The Government’s intentions in this challenge to the Supreme Court were nakedly clear – they wanted to defy the court order so as to avoid recalling Parliament – so as to avoid a vote of no-confidence.

The Acting Speaker’s application to the Supreme Court was dismissed with a very stern statement and strong criticism of the intentions behind the application.

In ordering the recall of Parliament, the Supreme Court has given the Government a third opportunity to demonstrate that it is finally prepared to start respecting and following the Constitution, by allowing Parliament to sit for a considerable period during this session, and by setting the date for the next session early in the year, so that Parliament might sit for a minimum of 59 days from January 11 to  August 5,  2011, and meet the constitutional requirement of 63 sitting days during the current parliamentary year.

 

Conclusion

 

 This session of Parliament gives the Government and all Members of Parliament three explicit opportunities to show the people that Members of Parliament do respect and obey the laws of our country. 

There are clear provisions laid out in the Constitution for the three issues I have raised which are pertinent to the current sitting of Parliament, namely:

·        election of the Governor-General;

·        voting on a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister; and

·        No early adjournment of Parliament.

 

I appeal to all Members of Parliament to ensure that we make amends to the people by abiding by the Constitution in relation to each of these issues.

The first casualty of war is innocence.welcome to 2011

By MALUM NALU

 

“The first casualty of war is innocence” is a famous catch-phrase from the 1986 Oliver Stone film, Platoon, which is about a young recruit in Vietnam who faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.

Fast forward to 2011, in Papua New Guinea, and we see those words ringing true in just about every town and city, and even the rural areas, as we deal with ubiquitous ethnic violence.

 We in PNG can rightfully paraphrase the above to “the first victim of ethnic violence is innocence”.

Innocent men, women and children are being needless affected by the wave of ethnic violence sweeping this country.

A new year, a new decade, but there seems to be no respite from this evil in a country which we like to preach of as “Christian”.

Even our VIPs are not exempt from this vicious never-ending circle of gloom, doom, despair and no hope brought about by this ethnic violence.

On Monday last week, a state minister’s high covenant family home at 4-Mile in Lae, Morobe, was burnt to ashes during an ethnic clash.

Yesterday, in Port Moresby, the home of former Kiriwina-Goodenough MP William Ebenosi was razed in a fight between Goilalas and Taris which he had nothing to do with.

Public Service Minister and Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina, who was born and raised in Lae, was not at home.

Maladina, his siblings and parents grew up in that humble abode and are very much a respected family in Lae, however, they were not spared in that moment of madness.

Police said the incident happened at about 3.30pm after they had contained a nasty gun battle that morning.

The two-hour gun battle, allegedly between settlers from Mt Hagen in Western Highlands and the Lufa people from Goroka residing at 4-Mile, marred what had been a peaceful festive season in the Morobean capital.

In Port Moresby, two people are dead and two have been hospitalised after an ethnic clash erupted between the Goilalas of Central and Taris of Southern Highlands in Port Moresby over the weekend which escalated into the early hours of yesterday.

Tension in the area was high with traffic was diverted and motorists told to take the Freeway into Downtown area with no access into the 2-Mile and Badili areas.   

Police said the ethnic clash began between 2pm and 3pm on Sunday and continued into Monday morning.

They said a Goilala man was killed and as a result, Goilala people in the Koki area retaliated and killed a Tari man yesterday morning.  

Two casualties were bystanders had parts of their limbs chopped off.

One was a Chimbu woman who had her left arm severed, and a male whose foot was completely chopped off.

A number of houses and properties were destroyed in the fight, including that of former Milne Bay politician William Ebenosi.

Last Saturday, many people including school children and mothers received injuries to their bodies at Waghi Bridge in Western Highlands’ North Waghi district when supporters of an MP and a former MP clashed.

The people of North Waghi reportedly  turned up in a big numbers at Waghi Bridge last Saturday morning to welcome former MP, Dr Fabian Pok,  to present  prize money to winning teams of a local competition he sponsored during the festive period.

Suddenly, like the horsemen of the apocalypse, supporters of North Waghi MP Benjamin Mul came from Nondugl in a 10-seater vehicle Toyota Land Cruiser, stopped their vehicle at the market, chased the people and caused destructions to the market.

One of Mul’s supporters allegedly started an engine of a 15-seater bus and tried to run over the people.

The other supporter and a local businessman went to the grandstand built inside Kerepa Primary School and attacked women in traditional dress with stones.

A youngster is reported to have received a deep cut on his head from a stone missile, just one of the many innocent women and children.

Opposing tribes are now on the verge of going to war because of last Saturday’s incident, which also does not bode well for the volatile Highlands and all of Papua New Guinea for that matter, with the 2012 elections just over around the corner.

Then again, “the first casualty of war is innocence”.

No help for Manam islanders

By MALUM NALU

 

Displaced Manam islanders will be left to fend for themselves for the seventh year in 2011 despite K15 million approved by the national executive council last year to help resettle them, according to a well-placed government official attached to the Manam resettlement taskforce and National Disaster Committee.

The source said this was because the government could not make a firm commitment as to what the national executive council wanted and what its medium-term development plan (MTDP) under the department of national planning and monitoring supported.

The MTDP highlights quite clearly that “vulnerable and disadvantaged people will have the support they require from the government, service providers and the general public for meeting their right to a minimum standard of living”.

The source said last year, the NEC approved K15m to help resettle Manam islanders over a five-year period; however, this seemed to have gone unheeded by national planning and monitoring.

“Clearly, the Manam issue should no longer be treated as a disaster-related matter but a development issue because the state is now working towards the resettling of more than 15,000 persons and it is dealing with the rebuilding of people’s livelihoods,” the source said.

He said that early last year, when tensions flared up between Bogia landowners and displaced Manams because of over-crowdedness and other social problems, NEC intervened by setting up a task force.

He said the NEC directed that the K15m be to:

• Assist the national government to identify suitable resettlement land;
• Liaise with various leaseholders as well as traditional landowners; and
• Purchase suitable land for the permanent resettlement of Manams.

“During the course of establishing the Manam task force, a draft resettlement plan was then completed and circulated to selected agencies and donours for their immediate feedback,” the source said.

“A field visit followed and this was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program, National Disaster Office and the Office of the Centre for Humanitarian Refugees.

“After the field visit to one of the main Manam care centres, adequate feedback to finalise the document was made and that actually progressed the resettlement plan to a public investment programme (PIP) at K15m over a five-year period

“A PIP submission was then forwarded to the department of national planning and monitoring by the team leader of the task force and acting chief secretary, Manasupe Zurenuoc.

“If the PIP had been approved, then more interested donours like AusAID, World Bank, UNP and others who showed interest would have been invited to participate through counterpart funding or technical assistance,”

The source added: “How long will the Manam people be allowed to suffer because of some bad policy and budget decisions?

“Obviously, one would say that not too many consultations had been carried out by department of national planning and monitoring on the Manam resettlement issue, because the MTDP clearly reflects the issues relevant to Manam, and yet, it is not captured at all in the 2011 development budget.”

Meanwhile, former politician and Madang businessman Sir Peter Barter, who has helped the Manam people for 45 years through seven volcanic eruptions, said the whole sad saga would never have happened not it not been for a litany of inept politicians and ineffective public servants.

“I’m disgusted, absolutely disgusted,” he said.

“I strongly believe that the Manam people have been abused by the government.

“The whole thing is absolutely disgraceful.

“There are problems all over the place.

“It’s a breach of human rights.

“Very soon, the United Nations Human Rights Commission will bring it up in Geneva.

“It’s aggravated by people who will not help.

“I suggest that the prime minister (Sir Michael Somare) go and sit down with the Manam islanders and the landowners.

“It’s a story which should never have been necessary to tell.

“It should have been resolved six years ago.”

Illegals in Australia

By JOHN PASQUARELLI

The prophets of doom predicted that Australia would be reduced to a gigantic dustbowl – instead there is water, water everywhere with tragic results in many areas. 

A trickle that fast became another form of flood is the arrival on our northern shores of  'illegals',  causing our immigration department to become bogged down as it fails to cope with the increased processing and paperwork, resulting in other important areas of administration being neglected. 

As the Greens and their mates moan and wail,  Australian taxpayers are facing very serious problems further down the track,  created by a recent High Court decision.

 Mamdouh Habib has been granted compensation by the Gillard government for his alleged mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay and we may never know the amount of this handout. 

With trendy civil libertarian  lawyers circling the High Court decision like slavering wolves,  Christmas Island and other detention centres may well achieve Guantanamo-type status down the track with detainees sooled on to lodge claims for undisclosed compensation against Australian taxpayers. 

As news of Habib's payout is circulated on the internet and the mobile phone network,  people smugglers will no doubt advise their clients of the added attraction of taking a voyage to 'Hotel Australia'.

First encounter with the sea

Students Martin Gaso (left), Jason Olpa and Rachael Zarlo collecting sea water at the Esplanade in Lae last Friday to take back to their people in Tabib, Southern Highlands.

Story and picture by BENBERT WASA

THREE students from the remote Tabib village in the upper Lai valley of Mendi-Mulhiu district, Southern Highlands, have seen the sea for the first time last Friday when they travelled down to Lae to spend their holidays, The National reports.
Jason Olpa, Martin Gaso and Rachael Zarlo said they were shocked to see the waves splashing onto the shores, thinking the sea would chase them.
They said the ocean should have covered all the places since there are no mountains covering places like in the highlands, but they said: "God made it to be as it is."
Their uncle Joe Kinjul, who had been in Lae for a long time, said it was mostly the educated people who know about the sea while the majority were still wishing.
After sometime standing far away from the shoreline, the children moved closer with some anxiety out of fear of being hit by the waves while trying to collect the salt water to taste.
They said they were scared and happy, at the same time, that they will take bottles of the salt water back to their people in Tabib.
Gaso said it was an experience of a lifetime and he wished to return and visit the rolling waves.
"It is through education that it bring us to see the sea," he said.

Polye: I'm with National Alliance

DEPUTY parliamentary of National Alliance Highlands Don Pomb Polye has broken his silence on his political allegiance, saying yesterday that he remains a committed member of the party, The National reports.

Polye, dumped as deputy prime minister last month and relegated to Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration minister, also condemned actions of members within the NA camp who may have created the potential of destroying the party.

He did not name them.

"I would, as I had always, strive to uphold the policies, visions, goals and aspirations of the National Alliance - a party which I have helped, in humble ways, to establish and develop into the institution that it is today.

"Contrary to rumours, which have been deliberately concocted by my political rivals and their cohorts, I do not see the wisdom in me leading factions of NA to the opposition to form a new government."

Polye, who lost the number two top post and Works ministry to Wabag MP Sam Abal, said that as a pioneer member of the NA, he urged colleague deputy parliamentary leaders of NA, members of the parliamentary wing, executive members, foundation members and supporters of the party not to ever consider abandoning the party.

"I condemn the actions and inactions of some within or outside the party who may have created the potential for disintegration of the party as I will not allow the disintegration of NA.

"I stand to ensure the party's constitution, code of ethics, norms and practices are strictly adhered to as required by the Organic Law on political parties and the PNG constitution."

As he made his position known, acting Prime Minister Sam Abal will meet with governors today to discuss the 2011 budget implementation at Crowne Plaza.

Last Friday, he met departmental heads and heads of state-owned enterprises to plan how to implement and K9.3 billion budget.

He stressed that he wanted this year to be a year of implementation.

 

Government to seal 9,000km of national roads

ACTING Prime Minister and Works Minister Sam Abal has directed that all 9,000km of national roads be completely sealed and further directed department secretary, Joel Luma, to furnish a phased sealing programme before the end of this month, The National reports.

This directive was one of several given to Luma for a definite and targeted sealing programme.

“Our target must be to seal all 9,000km of roads that we have in the country. We must aim to seal all of them through a phased programme so that we do not struggle year in year out to sporadically bring our roads up to sealed standard.

He said 36% of the total 9,000 km of roads had been sealed which equated to only 3,000km sealed.

Abal said the difference was left wanting and “if we plan to seal 500km each year though a phased programme, we are able to cover the entire national roads adequately in a short period of time instead of spending billions of kina on upgrading and gravelling.”

“There must be a systematic and programmed way that is transparent for all to see so that we provide good and quality road access for our people to reach and procure adequate social services and participation in economic activity. It is our duty to do that,” Abal said.

The department was also asked to immediately set in motion plans to open five strategic road links to opening the country and making it attractive for investment and economic activity.

He said the government would negotiate with major resource developers of the oil and gas sectors toward a turnkey for the major economic Highlands Highway trunk route, that would run from Lae in Morobe to Mendi in Southern Highland and Wabag in Enga, while focus would also be on other important road links around the country.

Abal said the other roads are: the Gulf to Kikori road link (K20 million); Banz-Ruti to Madang (K20 million); Bogia (Madang) to Angoram (K20 million); New Britain Island connection between East and West New Britain (K10 million) and Buluminski Highway upgrading and sealing (K10 million) to be completed in 2011.

Furthermore, a loan negotiation for technical design for K1.3 billion was currently on going and if successful, would enable the works department to build bridges linking West and East Sepik.

Abal said in a concerted effort with transport sector partners and development aid donors, his department intended to provide and maintain a national roads network and other technical infrastructure for PNG to facilitate intra-regional connectivity so that people could seriously have access to core government services such as health and education both of which were significant contributors to human development.

 

Detained vessel flees Simpson Harbour

By VERONICA FRANCIS

 

A VESSEL detained by PNG Customs Services and currently the subject of court proceedings in regards to crude oil that was alleged to have been stolen from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville has fled PNG, The National reports.

The vessel was in anchorage in the Simpson Harbour, East New Britain, under state control, monitored by Customs and police when it turned off all its lights at midnight on Saturday and quietly cruised out of PNG.

The vessel is believed to be currently at sea desperately attempting to leave PNG waters.

PNG Customs Services Commissioner Gary Juffa confirmed the getaway and stated that Customs, police and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force were working to intercept the vessel and bring it back to PNG to face its impending court case.

On board the vessel is believed to be crude oil worth more than K15 million stolen from Bougainville.

Juffa admitted the incident was regrettable and he had already ordered assistant commissioner Islands region to conduct a full investigation into the matter to determine the facts surrounding the departure of the vessel.

He said because of the sensitivity of the issue he could not make further comments, adding responsible authorities were working together to recover the vessel, its cargo and charge those responsible.

It is believed the captain of the vessel had been charged with stealing by the police and for various other Customs offences and was awaiting court when he decided to flee after he was granted bail.

 

 

 

Madang teachers to be paid this week

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

 

TEACHERS in Madang, unhappy over non-payment of their leave entitlements, have been assured they will be paid this week, The National reports.

Education division advisor Moses Sariki last Friday advised more than 200 teachers to check their bank accounts by Wednesday to confirm that their leave entitlements were deposited.

“Everything is under control. We will be paying an outstanding of K667, 676 to 293 teachers beginning Wednesday,” said Sariki.

He said that the payout would be made by the Madang administration who had agreed to use the province’s roll over funds from last year to resolve this issue while waiting for the national finance, treasury and planning office to process the entitlements.

“Our request for the additional amount we needed is still pending with the finance and treasury department.

“Madang provincial administration has been very supportive with stepping in to assist us using left over internal funds from last year’s budget,” Sariki said.

The update was welcomed by teachers even though it was late.

Teachers last week had threatened to boycott resuming duties on Jan 24 if their leave entitlements were not guaranteed by last Friday.

In an informal gathering the teachers listed their demands including an investigation into why the processing of leave fares has been very slow.

A copy of their demands was presented to Teaching Services Commission Momase regional advisor Joseph Ouyoumb who assured the teachers he would take the matter with appropriate authorities.

 Ouyoumb had, however, warned against the teachers boycotting duties, stating that the teachers would be penalised under the teachers services Act if such action was taken.

 

 

Local company invests K750,000 in hauling

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

 

LANDOWNER company Hiwa Corp Ltd (HCL) last Thursday released K750, 000 to freight company TransWonderland Ltd (TWL) which will be used to acquire a new hauling truck to boost the company’s fleet, The National reports.

The money came from the business development grants of the government under the liquefied natural gas project’s spin off scheme.

HCL’s chairman Peter Purani and directors presented the cheque to TWL managing director Larry Andagali.

The funds will be used to acquire a new Western Star prime mover truck.

TWL has contract with the ExxonMobil to haul cargoes   from Morobe to the LNG project areas in Southern Highlands.

HCL, an umbrella company at the petroleum development licence (PDL) 1 in Hides, comprising Arua, Wita, Kopiya, Pina, Tobani, Kenamu, Hunumani, Ware, Pepe and other Hiwas clans, had earlier invested K67, 000 into TWL.

Purani said they were happy to be involved with TWL as it would benefit them through spin offs generated from the LNG projects. 

“This freight company is the only opportunity for us and our future generation to benefit from the project.

 

A tribute to William Takaku

By PETER TRIST



Rehearsal on set with little Tunjie, William, Peter and Ulli Beier

  On Monday, January 3, 2011, Papua New Guinea lost one of her most creative sons – the actor, screenwriter, theatre director, musician and environmentalist, William Takaku.
Firstly, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to William's family, his children, and his many friends for their great loss.


Portrait of William as Man Friday

I had the great privilege to have known William as a friend and colleague, working together in theatre, radio production and writing during the most-productive period of both our lives.
I first met William when he arrived at the new University of PNG in 1968 to commence an undergraduate degree in law.
William soon realised that the dry demands of law were not for him!
His heart was set on more artistic endeavors, especially to be a performing artist and an actor.
Fortunately, the then recently-formed National Art School had commenced recruiting actors, dancers and musicians to be the nucleus of a National Theatre Company.
Funds were provided by the Government's National Cultural Council.
Here, William quickly established himself along with other talented young people from all over the country.
His colleagues included people like Kilori Susuve, Roslyn Bobom, Rodney Kove, Markham Galut, Tania Daure, Sam Paulas, Sebastian Miyoni, Michael Tavil, Domba Galang, Joe Mararos, Matalau Nakikus, Gundu Raka-Kagl, Nicolas Gioni, Golila Pepe, and Pengau Nengo, under the directorship of Arthur Jawodimbari.
. Together with William, they became PNG's first theatre professionals.
The company's repertoire included scripted plays such as Voices From the Ridge and Wilma, Wait, improvised plays and traditional dances devised by the actors.
As anyone fortunate enough to have seen these plays, they will recall that the presentations were often enlivened by comedy - which audiences loved.
A popular village-originated performance piece was the bawdy and very physical sketch about the trials of a poor man suffering elephantiasis.
This play – Bik Bal, was typical of the company's early successes.
Around this time, I was asked to join the company's board of directors with Arthur Jawodimbari, Nora Vagi Brash, Jon Bili Tokome and Rose Kekedo.
I helped organise and direct their first national tour to Lae, Kainantu, Goroka, Mt Hagen, Wapanamanda, Wewak, and Madang.
The tour's highlight was a comedy written by William (in Tok Pisin) called Pekato Bilong Man.
Very loosely based on the Bible's Book of Genesis. William adapted to a PNG setting, a Nigerian play The Fall by Ulli Beier.
In William's version, God's tree of the forbidden fruit became PNG'S betel nut palm!
Because of his success with the company, William attended a special course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney (NIDA).
His fellow students included Mel Gibson and Judy Davis.
William's NIDA teachers, such as Margaret Barr, admired his ability in improvisation, movement and acting skills.
One legacy of William's NIDA study was his adaptation of the ancient Greek play, Medea about a woman's terrible revenge on her husband.
Transposed to PNG Highlands with dialogue in Tok Pisin, the play had William's fellow NIDA student Helen Jones (later featured in the film Bliss) as the vengeful Medea.
Helen, as the outsider, convincingly became the character in William's conception, against the cast of National Theatre Company players.
For the National Broadcasting Commision, where I worked as senior producer drama and features, William's vocal talent was heard in many radio dramas such as As the River Flows (with Pauline Beni), and in his friend Albert Toro's serial The Sugar Cane Days – about the notorious Queensland 'Kanaka' trade.
Under my direction, and with the encouragement of Ulli Beier (then head of the Institute of PNG Studies), William starred in what would become his most-famous role.
This was as Man Friday in Adrian Mitchell's parable of colonialism.

Poster by Georgina Beier

The play presented 'Robinson Crusoe' (played by Norman Vaughton) begging 'Man Friday’ to be forgiven his past wrongs, and to be allowed to be part of Friday's tribe.

Norman Vaughton (Crusoe) and Friday

In the immediate pre-independence period – when some expatriates were considering taking on PNG citizenship, the play struck many familiar chords.
Man Friday had original music by Sanguma and members of the National Theatre and Music School.

Man Friday shows his tribe how to play cricket

The striking set and costumes were designed by the acclaimed artist Georgina Beier.
Above all, Takaku was charismatic, charming and dignified as the central character.
After this great success, William later appeared in my production of John Kolia's play Going Finish, set in contemporary Port Moresby.
William played a radical PNG student, patronised by an Australian accountant (Ian Boden).



Ian Boden and William in Going Finish

 The Australian family was about to 'Go Finish', but complications ensue when the student falls in love with the accountant's blonde wife (Kerry Bamford), who decides she wants to stay with her lover in PNG.
Audience preconceptions were challenged by the physicality of Takaku's character in an interracial sexual relationship.
The review by Rowan Callick in the Times of PNG commented on William's role: "Another strong performance by one of Papua New Guinea's finest actors...”
Following these stage successes, William was cast again as Man Friday in the 1997 American-financed film Robinson Crusoe opposite the Irish actor and (ex-James Bond) Pierce Brosnan.

Punishment as education

This was shot in Madang and directed by George Miller and Rod Hardy.
The film was first shown on US cable TV, and then given a world-wide release.
This was not William's first venture into filming.
In 1992, with his wantok Albert Toro, he co-wrote, directed and appeared in the television mini-series Warriors in Transit.
The series had theme music by Sanguma and followed a story line of a family's struggle in a Port Moresby squatter's settlement.
There were eight, 25 minute episodes.
Warriors In Transit was hailed as: "The first ever television drama wholly conceived and produced by Papua New Guineans”.
One of the themes of the mini-series was the destruction of the environment in the service of 'progress'.
Earlier, William had composed and written a folk opera called Erberia.
He based the libretto on traditional creation legends from Bouganville.
Erberia was performed at the PNG Festival of Arts.
All his life William had a deep concern for the environment.
He felt the need to preserve and maintain the natural world of forest, islands, mountains and sea that were the birthright of all Papua New Guineans.
After his time with the National Theatre Company, William directed the Milne Bay Provincial Theatre Group.
Here concerns were focused on the increasing destruction by international logging companies of the pristine forests of Milne Bay islands, such as Woodlark.
William and his theatre group performed plays for villagers that expressed concern at the consequence of this environmental destruction.

Friday's anger!

In a 2000 interview with the Australian film maker Liz Thompson, William said: “Traditionally, arts and ceremony were used to pass on beliefs, morality and codes of behavior.
“Ceremonial art was integral to the ordering of society.
“Stories often used environmental metaphors. Tradition was based on a respect for the environment, a harmonious relationship with it.”
William's continuing legacy and example to us all should be to maintain the creative spirit he so trusted and valued.
He believed in the strength of art, expressed through performance, writing, music and creativity.
William dedicated his own life to enrich the cultural heritage of his country, Papua New Guinea.
Vale! dear friend.

Manam issue to hit world stage

By MALUM NALU
The Manam Island issue is going global and Papua New Guinea authorities will be questioned about the ill treatment of the islanders by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, in May this year.
A human rights activist was in PNG last November and visited the island.
A well-placed government source said that PNG authorities, including the Department of National Planning, would have a lot of explaining as to why they did not fund the Manam resettlement exercise for 2011.
“The Manam people will be left to fend for themselves again for the seventh year in 2011 because the government cannot make a firm commitment as to what its decision-making body, National Executive Council, wants and what its medium-term development plan (MTDP) under the Department of National Planning supports,” the source said.
“All that seem to be happening more frequently is that the public service tends to play more politics where some key government bodies and agencies appear to work in total isolation of the rest of the government.
“This only brings about more confusion, contradiction and now a self-convincing state that the MTDP is the solution to a more policy-driven budget.”
PNG is due to report to the human rights council in Geneva in May this year.
This universal periodic review session is a regular, every four to five year exercise for all countries where authorities report on and respond to questions on progress regarding treaty ratification, implementation and the protection of human rights in general.
It is understood that the most-important human rights findings from the recent Manam Island mission would be sent to Geneva to be put on official record and then put to the PNG authorities at the session
“We can also raise forced eviction, health, security issues etc,” according to the activist.
“That would be excellent exposure of the plight of the islanders, and serve to put high level pressure on the authorities to explain what they are doing and to act to resolve the resettlement issue.
“ In addition to the 2011 session in Geneva, such a report would usually lead to the special procedures unit of the Human Rights Commission contacting the PNG authorities in writing and presenting the info received from us, and request a response and additional info from the government.”
She said it was also in line with the need “to bring Manam higher on the national and international agenda”.

Displaced Manam islanders rejected

By MALUM NALU

Refugees in their own land...a recent scene from a Manam displaced persons camp in Bogia, Madang province.-Picture courtesy of NATIONAL DISASTER SERVICE

Manam islanders displaced by the recent volcanic eruptions over the festive period may find it hard to be resettled.
This is because landowners on Bogia - on the mainland where three care centres for displaced Manam islanders totaling about 14, 000 are - do not want any more refugees on their land.
Only about 3,000 people remain back on the volcanic island.
The three care centres are at the site of three former plantations which are Potsdam, Mangem and Asuramba.
Potsdam landowner, Raymond Brossueau, said last Friday that the three plantations had been purchased by a former Bogia MP, Tim Ward, and sold to the state to be converted into care centres for displaced Manam islanders without the consent of the traditional landowners.
Former politician and Madang businessman Sir Peter Barter, when contacted today, confirmed the plight of the Manam islanders and added that it was a “national disgrace” which would be heard by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, in May this year as the government continued to turn a blind eye to it.
Sir Peter also confirmed the animosity of the mainland people towards the islanders because of their land and suggested that the government, which had failed miserably to consult them first before allowing their land to be used as care centres, compensate them properly for this.
Brossueau said there had been major eruptions in 1997, 2004 and over the festive period but unlike 1997, when Manam islanders only stayed for a short time, they had settled at Bogia permanently since 2004.
“In terms of the Manam settlement, the governments knows the land belongs to the people and needs to be given back,” Brossueau said.
“This is particularly in relation to the Potsdam care centre.
“Manam islanders have been there since 2004.
“The government told us that after five years, they would be resettled elsewhere.
“Since then, nothing has happened.
“We landowners have exhausted our land resources to cater for them, with has come with costs in terms of denial of business, social problems, loss of vernacular, ethnic problems and no services because the government regards everyone in the area, including us landowners, as disaster-affected people.”
There have been massive social problems, including fighting and murders, since 2004 at the three care centres as tensions flared between landowners and Manam islanders.
In one of the most-horrific cases, a Manam islander was chopped into pieces and his body parts placed in a bucket, while several of the islanders’ houses have been burned.
Many such incidents have gone unreported by the media since 2004.
“The main impact of dysfunction started in 2004 after they came in,” Brossueau said.
“We know there is ample land available to help these people, but not at these care centres.
“The state says they will give back the land as soon as they find an alternate site to resettle the Manams.
“All these arrangements expired in 2009, and to us, we consider them as illegally settling on our land.
“This year, with all these issues outstanding, the state needs to address the landownership and transfer all the land titles back to the landowners.”
Sir Peter, who has helped the Manam people for 45 years through seven volcanic eruptions, said the whole sad saga would never have happened not it not been for a litany of inept politicians and ineffective public servants.
“I’m disgusted, absolutely disgusted,” he said.
“I strongly believe that the Manam people have been abused by the government.
“The whole thing is absolutely disgraceful.
“There are problems all over the place.
“It’s a breach of human rights.
“Very soon, the United Nations Human Rights Commission will bring it up in Geneva.
“It’s aggravated by people who will not help.
“I suggest that the prime minister (Sir Michael Somare) go and sit down with the Manam islanders and the landowners.
“It’s a story which should never have been necessary to tell.
“It should have been resolved six years ago.”

Papua New Guinea must have good leadership now

By REGINALD RENAGI

Many Papuan New Guineans would agree that despite its shortcomings in a lot of governance areas in recent times, it is probably not the best time to change the present government wholesale, but only change its leadership.

Many political observers here and abroad see our government as appearing incompetent and indecisive in recent years. 

The problem PNG has today is its weak and indecisive leadership.

PNG really deserves a better leadership now, and we don’t have the right leadership these past few years.

Today, the real problem with our government is it does not have a good ‘succession plan’ in place for many years.

Consequently, this has now been found most wanting in that the country is about to be thrown into a constitutional and leadership crisis. 

Moreover, the government will be hard-pressed to find the required quality leadership PNG desperately needs now from within the National Alliance party, or its NA coalition mix.

Right now, the government can't even find amongst itself, according to Francis Huluapmomi in a popular blog PNG Attitude "a highly intelligent and qualified politician who is able to strategically manoeuvre PNG in the age of globalisation and changing pattern in international politics to attain national objectives".  I agree.

That is why for years the ruling regime is still keeping the same driver in the driver's seat, despite its many mistakes.

It does this to keep covering up and making useless excuses for a leadership that is not only unsuitable, but now clearly ineffective to lead PNG in future.

There are still some good quality MPs sitting in the middle benches and in the parliamentary opposition to be made a part of a new and good government.

This whole thing may work if a proper regrouping is done immediately now within parliament.

We can keep the few good MPs in the coalition and merge them with the middle and the opposition to form a good government with experience and credibility.

A government that the citizens of PNG can wholly put their total trust in to protect our national interest.

Today, our people do not trust their government at all for all the broken promises since independence.

This is important and will give PNG a fairly good quality mixed government until the country goes to polls in 2012.

But there is a major snag here.  Who is going to take the lead? No, not Sam Abal.

And there is no one except for one MP in the current coalition party who has what it takes, to take this required leadership initiative in the national interest.

The deputy PM and acting PM is a nice quiet guy, but from all his public utterances so far since being in the job all indicates he is only warming the chair for the return of the real prime minister.

Hence, he will not be making any real solid commitments, one way or another.

The MP lacks the typical highlands' aggressiveness that former deputy PM, Don Polye has to be able to pull off such a spectacular stunt.

I studied leadership and strategy for over 30 years, and I can say here on record that Don Polye can make a good PM in a new-look government with a good team of political change agents.

This will no doubt move this country forward from its comatose state.

As far as I can see, Don Polye is no doubt the one political leader standing out to do something now about totally cleaning up the PNG government inherent corruption; as recently stated publicly that the government must directly tackle.

The problem PNG has today until the next elections in 2012 is that our government leadership lacks the guts to get its act together, and lead PNG as it should be led in the national interest.

So they colluded and sacrificed a very good deputy PM and potential future PM, Don Polye, for an MP who lacks the member for Kandep’s aggressiveness and drive to now ‘clean up the house’.

If we do not change the status quo now, PNG will still not have any real degree of a good competent government and parliament; until the 2012 national elections.

It’s all just a waste of the people’s time and resources to put up with the current nonsense and political bullshit for so long now.

But what choice do the people of PNG have, than to wait and silently suffer a few more months before they completely change the whole mob in 2012.

It’s time for a real change.

Reginald Renagi

Gabagaba-Kemabolo