Papua New Guinea government survives another day

AAP

Papua New Guinea's government has survived another day, with the opposition unable to muster the numbers to move a vote of no confidence today.

However, the opposition is confident it will be able to get more ministers onside overnight in order to move a successful vote of no confidence when parliament sits again on Wednesday.

Former forest minister Belden Namah told reporters outside parliament today that the opposition would have the numbers to roll the government.

"When parliament sits we will have 55 on our side and we'll see a change," he said.

Parliament will sit on Wednesday morning for the swearing in of Governor-General Paulius Matane, and then the opposition is expected to move the vote of no confidence.

The strength of the opposition, which doubled in size this week after a raft of defections, was tested in parliament on Tuesday.

It gained 42 out of 109 votes when moving for an extension of question time.

The scene is now set for a busy night, with the opposition moving to convince other government members who remain on the fence to join them and form a new government.

Former deputy prime minister Puka Temu resigned on Monday and is now vying for the prime minister's job.

 

Former Papua New Guinea deputy fails to mount challenge

By ABC PNG correspondent LIAM FOX

There have been tense scenes inside and outside Papua New Guinea's parliament amid speculation of a move to topple the prime minister.

Scores of heavily armed police patrolled the parliament precinct where the gates were closed to the general public and a large crowd chanted for the police to let them in.

Inside former deputy prime minister Puka Temu took a seat on the opposition side of the house with two other former ministers.

The trio defected from the government yesterday to a coalition made up of opposition MPs and smaller parties.

Mr Temu held discussions yesterday with opposition MPs at a resort outside Port Moresby.

Question time was tense with a lot of shouting and fist pumping but the new opposition group did not follow through with a threat to move a motion of no confidence against prime minister Sir Michael Somare.

 

Papua New Guinea politics in pictures

Top: The opposition camp at the March Girls Resort outside Port Moresby yesterday with Sir Julius Chan (from left), NCD Governor Powes Parkop, middle group leader Jamie Maxtone-Graham, opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta, prime ministership candidate Sir Puka Temu and former attorney-general Dr Allan Marat.

Bottom: Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is flanked by Education Minister James Marape (from left), parliament speaker Jeffery Nape and Transport, Lands and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye at the PNG Institute of Public Affairs at Waigani yesterday.

 

 

 

Temu, Namah, Abel walk out

DEPUTY Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu walked out of government yesterday, and has been offered the alternate prime ministership in a possible vote of no-confidence, The National reports.

Sir Puka walked out with Forest Minister Belden Namah and Culture and Tourism Minister Charles Abel, declaring they were fed up with too much power concentrated in the hands of the Somares.

Their group camped at the March Girls Resort outside Port Moresby. They were joined by the opposition.

A notice is expected to be given for a vote of no-confidence when parliament sits today.

In a day of dramatic political development, a National Alliance party caucus meeting scheduled for yesterday afternoon at the PNG Institute of Public Affairs did not go ahead as planned.

Learning of Sir Puka’s walkout, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare met with his NA members and, later, the leaders of his coalition government.

He is expected to sack the three ministers and announce a cabinet reshuffle today.

Last night, the Somare camp at IPA claimed they had more than 60 MPs to starve off a challenge, while the March Girls camp said they were building enough numbers to successfully overthrow the prime minister.

Sir Puka, with the two ministers’ backing, also has the support from the opposition led by Sir Mekere Morauta, Sir Julius Chan and Bart Philemon, the Eastern bloc led by Chimbu Governor John Garia and the middle group led by Jamie Maxtone-Graham.

Namah, who is the power broker, has declared an all-out war to go in and form the next government by today.

Sir Puka declared that the move was to form a new government as of today and accepted the leaders’ support for his candidacy.

“I have accepted support to be candidate for the prime minister’s post; I accept it honourably and with solemnest,” he said.

“The reason why I moved out is because I believe this is the right thing to do in the current situation where the chief and his son control enormous level of policy decision and resources.

“I don’t think it is right to congregate power in the hands of two family members. Power must be shared, and that is why I took this bold step.”

Sir Puka said his group decided to join the call by the opposition and the people to hold hands together and change the government.

He said this was the right step, knowing full well the risks involved.

He assured the business sector that he would continue to give priority to the LNG project to ensure it crosses the line.

Sir Temu gave credit to Sir Michael for bringing the country from independence until now, but said the prime minister’s mind was not as sharp as before.

“I believe this is the time for the Grand Chief to step aside.”

He said with a young crop of leaders behind him, he believed what PNG needed right now was good, dedicated, honest and transparent leadership.

“If the government has the numbers, and we don’t have them, let it be so,” Sir Puka added.

 

 

Prime Minister to reshuffle cabinet

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare will replace the three ministers who walked out of his government today, when he announces a reshuffle of his cabinet, The National reports.

Works, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye was most likely to be appointed deputy prime minister.

The prime minister was expected to announce the reshuffle yesterday afternoon, but decided to defer it to today.

Insiders said because the political situation was very fluid, the prime minister was holding off a reshuffle and announcing a new deputy prime minister for “a few more hours”.

Sir Michael, who is leader of NA, told more than 50 supporters and coalition partners in front of the PNGIPA Hall that the party constitution was very clear that the three ministers – Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu, Forest Minister Belden Namah and Culture and Tourism Minister Charles Abel – moved out on their own accord.

“According to party systems, the three ministers have made their intentions known and, virtually, sacked themselves.”

Sir Michael, in a move to keep the NA party intact, also touched on the leadership issue that was now confronting the party, saying his time as leader of the party was nearing an end.

He said the constitution was explicit that no party leader could lead NA after two terms at the helm, claming that he would not be seeking re-election.

The prime minister said the party leadership issue would be brought up at the NA party convention in Minj, Western  Highlands, next month.

Some of the 32 NA members present included Attorney-General Ano Pala, Works Minister Don Polye, Education Minister James Marape, Internal Security Minister Sani Rambi, Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare, Wapenamanda MP Miki Kaeok, Tambul-Nebilyer MP Benjamin Poponawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal, Planning Minister Paul Tiensten, East New Britain Governor Leo Dion, Labour Minister Mark Maipakai, East Sepik Governor Peter Wararu, Communication Minister Patrick Tammur and Bougainville MP Fidelis Semoso.

Party officials said the NA faction and its partners had a combined 62 MPs intact and would remain together to stop moves to remove the government.

Sir Michael was speaking to coalition partners who were all present to give their support including United Resource Party (URP) leaders William Duma and Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru, Pangu’s Andrew Kumbakor and Francis Marus, People’s Action Party’s Gabriel Kapris, Ben Semri and Tony Aimo, People’s National Congress leader Peter O’Neill and the People’s Party led by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas.

National Party’s Joe Mek Teine, who was earlier with the March Girls camp, was also seen outside the IPA Hall last night.

 

 

Ramu NiCo unhappy with court ruling

RAMU NiCo, developers of the K3.3 billion Ramu nickel project in the Bismarck Ranges of Madang, said yesterday that they were disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision last Friday not to lift the interim injunction and allow the company to install and operate the deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) facility at Basamuk Bay, The National reports.

“We are now keenly waiting on advice from our lawyers on the full meaning of the decision and its likely effect on the continued development and operation of the Ramu nickel project,” it said in a statement from Madang.

“This project was approved in 2000 and, subsequently at different stages of development, Ramu NiCo obtained the permits required from the PNG government.”

Ramu NiCo said the project had been under construction for more than two years and was now nearing completion, but Basamuk landowners’ court action only started some four months ago.

It said that during this time, it had used about K3.3 billion out of a total budget of K3.8 billion.

However, the company was confident that with a full trial on the issues in the National Court of Madang, the matter would be resolved satisfactorily.

Ramu NiCo estimated that for every day that operation of the project was held up by virtue of these court orders, the developer and its partners, Highlands Pacific Ltd and MRDC, would lose up to K7 million. 

“No company can sustain losses of this magnitude for extended periods and, now, we will find it exceedingly difficult to raise funds to invest in PNG until Ramu NiCo’s rights to develop this project are confirmed. 

“We suspect that this will become more than just our concern once the implications of these issues confronting us are fully assessed by the international investment community and their responses, in turn, are felt in PNG.

“The extended delays will create enormous disruption to DSTP construction and, therefore, the commissioning and operation schedule.”

The company said this would be further complicated by the coming rainy season.

“The impact on the overall plant viability could be far-reaching.”

It said that once it had been briefed by its lawyers, Ramu NiCo would discuss its present situation with project stakeholders, including the other owners, the government and key landowner and provincial government representatives, and it would make another full statement on these developments in due course.

 

 

Protest march off, say police

THERE will be no protest march today, Police Commissioner Gari Baki said yesterday, The National reports.

Baki warned that any protests occurring today would be deemed illegal and that police would be deployed in parts of the city to ensure his directions were strictly followed.

Baki’s comments come in light of announcements in the media and the public by anti-corruption activist Noel Anjo and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that there will be a protest march to Parliament today.

“We want to make it clear that there will be no protest march tomorrow (today) and that it will be business as usual,” Baki told a media conference yesterday.

He said there had been so much speculation going around about a planned protest but that established procedures relating to obtaining permission to stage such a march had not occurred.

The police commissioner said also that with talk of a motion of no-confidence being moved on the prime minister when parliament sits, his men were stretched and spread too thinly to contemplate another matter such as a protest march.

Baki said he was briefed on the situation by NCD police commander Awan Sete and metropolitan commander Chief Supt Fred Yakasa.

“As far my colleagues and I are concerned, these are just speculations. There was no formal arrangement with me and my men on the protest,” he said.

Baki said requests would normally come to a committee which determined whether or not a march would go ahead and that this had not occurred.

The commissioner announced that 300 police personnel would be deployed to parts of the city today to monitor the situation and to stop any group from protesting.

Half of the policemen and women will be at the parliament while the

rest will be stationed in strategic

parts of the city.

“With so many things happening around us and now with parliament resuming with talk of vote of no-confidence, we are stretched to the limit.

“That must be respected by public, NGOs and any other individual groups. We have no time to divert those amongst ourselves to activities outside of our normal duties, it is too much,” he said.

Baki said such grievances such as the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) had to be addressed nationally with parliament as the forum.

Yakasa said any public forums or assemblies today would be deemed as illegal.

“Now is not the appropriate time for protest marches. Any peaceful demonstration on any issues is capable of re-igniting certain things that can go out of hand. We want peace to prevail and are concerned about the safety of our people,” he said.

Catholic agency schools have told their students not to turn up for school today and it is expected other schools have done likewise in case the protest goes ahead.