Marching for justice

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

Much at stake in ouster bid

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NA chief rejects Namah's plans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ExxonMobil assured sites are safe

By ELIZABETH MIAE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

APEC leaders release declaration, adopt new vision for regional growth

Issued by the  APEC Secretariat

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

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

Significant progress towards the Bogor Goals

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

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

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

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

Path toward a robust economy

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

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

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

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

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

Accelerating regional economic integration

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

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

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

Balanced growth

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

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

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

Supporting the multilateral trading system

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

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

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

Resisting protectionism

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

                                                                    ###

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

Somare now behaving like a dictator

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Shameful. 

“Why do we put up with this?”

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

“Wake up Papua New Guineans.”

Mekere Morauta KCMG MP                              

Leader of the Opposition and                                           

Member for Moresby North-West                         

Police stable

Wagambie vows to ‘protect and serve’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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