Dame Carol is lone opposition member

By SHIRLYN BELDEN

DAME Carol Kidu has disassociated herself from the Somare camp and offered to take up the position of opposition leader in parliament, The National reports.
Dame Carol, the member for Moresby South and only female parliamentarian, requested in a letter to deputy speaker Francis Marus and clerk Don Pandan that she be allocated a seat in the opposition benches and assume the opposition leadership up to the next parliament sitting on Feb 14.
The Jan 27 letter was addressed to Speaker Jeffery Nape who has yet to reply. 
She assumed herself leader of the opposition as she was the only MP in the Somare camp who had attended parliament since the start of the political impasse in August last year.
“I have become increasingly concerned about the vacuum in the opposition that has resulted from the timeframe necessary for court deliberations on various references and applications made to the judiciary by both factions.”
 Dame Carol said as a parliamentarian and coalition partner, she was taking up the role of presenting the other voice – “something from the Opposition to get bipartisan views on matters debated on the floor of parliament”.
She would stay away from both factions in regards meetings or
coalitions to back the military intervention in politics.
“I have disassociated myself from the Somare faction – because of my discomfort about the press statements made regarding the recent military interventions into the political scenario,” she told reporters yesterday at Parliament House.
While she is a strong supporter of Sir Michael Somare, Dame Carol said she was not part of any cabinet meeting (in the Somare faction) that endorsed the military mutiny – if media reports on that were true.
“If these media statements are correct, I wish to make it clear that I was not present in any such meetings and I disassociate myself from active participation of both factions in the on-going political impasse,” she said

Somare files contempt proceedings

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

SIR Michael Somare’s faction has filed contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Cabinet members, among others, The National reports.
Also named as respondents are Speaker Jeffery Nape, his deputy Francis Marus and deputy PM Belden Namah.
They have been accused of failing to implement Supreme Court orders issued last Dec 12 to restore Sir Michael as PM.
The application named 35 respondents including chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc and lawyer Tiffany Twivey.  The application would be served to the lawyers of the respective respondents by this week.
In response, O’Neill, in a statement last night, said his government would mount a vigorous defence in court.
“The actions of Sir Michael and his members of parliament were those of a desperate group trying to cling onto power,” he said.
“We will vigorously defend this contempt application and have it disposed of in due course.
“These are acts of desperate people who have failed to turn up in parliament to deal with the issue but choose to remain outside of parliament to wrestle government by creating instability in the institutions of state.”
In a media conference yesterday, Sir Michael and suspended Angoram MP Arthur Somare said their group remained the legitimate government.
Sir Michael said the warrants would be issued to each and every one of the respondents and he expected the matter to be heard by the Supreme Court this week.
“We will be asking the court to ask them to show cause why they should not be detained until the final matter is heard,” he said.
O’Neill, with a majority support from parliament, became prime minister last August when Sir Michael was undergoing medical treatment in Singapore.
However, the East Sepik provincial government went to the Supreme Court which ruled on Dec 12 that Sir Michael was not lawfully removed; that the speaker’s decision of Sept 6 to declare Sir Michael had lost his seat was unconstitutional and ordered that Sir Michael be restored to office as prime minister.
Sir Michael said preventing the implementation of the Supreme Court’s findings “is blatant defiance of the Supreme Court decision, hence is in contempt”.
 “These contempt proceedings seek to uphold the integrity of the Supreme Court and respect by the executive and legislature for the judiciary in maintaining the rule of law by upholding our Constitution.”
O’Neill said the issues facing the nation today were not about personalities but about maintaining democracy.
“The national parliament is where every government since Independence has been elected, and defeated.
 “Under our system of government, the government changes when parliament changes the prime minister.”
O’Neill said parliament has moved on since the decision of the Supreme Court in making appropriate legislative changes and decisions, one of which was to reaffirm his election as prime minister.
“What we are witnessing now is a desperate attempt by the Somare family to trample on proper and legal processes to get into government.”
The Somare group should now concentrate on the general election which is only two months away to seek the mandate of the people to govern the country, he added.

Army wives complain about rundown barracks

By JEFFREY ELAPA

A GROUP of soldiers’ wives have asked the government to address problems at the barracks where they are staying, The National reports.
The soldiers and their families live at the Taurama Barracks in Port Moresby. In a petition, the wives claimed that there were many pressing issues which had never been dealt with by the government or the defence force.
The wives said there was a big housing problem at  Taurama and other military camps.
Many families were illegally residing in the single quarters at the barracks while others were living in settlements with relatives.
On top of that, many of the colonial homes have never been renovated and were rotting away. Leaking roofs were common.
The barracks also face water supply problems with many families complaining of inadequate supply to their homes. It poses a health risk to the families.
The wives said the continuous abuse of power by a senior officer had been finally put to rest with the appointment of the new commanding officer.
To add to the congestion, families of retired officers remain in the barracks awaiting their final entitlements.
Some widows who claimed to have been underpaid remain there.
The wives pointed out that these internal military issues the soldiers faced led to frustration – with some husbands and fathers forced to join the failed mutiny.
The families want the government to deal with the problems at Taurama – and other military camps – urgently

Sir Michael stands by mutiny leader

THE Somare camp will stand firm behind the appointment of Col Yaura Sasa as the commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, The National reports.
Defence minister in the (Sir Michael) Somare camp Andrew Kumbakor said: “We should not be quick to accept that mutiny took place last week at Murray Barracks. There is a lot at stake here and I know that we are a tribal people that have always had an instinct for danger. We also have an innate sense of what is right and wrong.
“Papua New Guinea knows Michael Somare from the beginning. What we do not know is where Peter O’Neill, Belden Namah or many of the people in the regime came from.
“Knowing who we have been dealing with, it is deplorable to suggest that the Somare government would stage a coup or be responsible for mutiny in the army. Somare is the architect of many of the institutions that are set up today in our country.
“Last year he submitted to the Ombudsman Commission and went before a tribunal.
“In his 43 years of politics he has never manoeuvered outside of the law to retain control of power in this country.”
Kumbakor maintains that the Somare government is the legitimate PNG government.
“We gave Sir Michael the mandate to be prime minister in 2002 and again in 2007. The Supreme Court upheld this fact on Dec 12 and rendered O’Neill’s reign as illegitimate.”
Kumbakor said the Somare government was responsible for the stability, growth and prosperity which PNG enjoyed during the past nine years.
“Through this period of stability we have been able to encourage growth in industry, meaning more people are employed and can afford basic services,” he said.
“Let’s not be hoodwinked by a fly-by-night regime that purports to solve PNG’s problems in a matter of months. We, the Somare government, built the basis upon which the O’Neill regime is able to throw around and squander money just before the election.
“I call on members of the disciplined forces to exercise restraint at all times and to ensure public safety is not compromised.
“Upholding the constitution and the law is the only way that PNG will avert a crisis."

Mutineers surrender

By JEFFREY ELAPA

SOLDIERS involved in a short-lived mutiny last Thursday have surrendered their weapons to Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, The National reports.
In return, Namah yesterday made a submission to the government which granted full amnesty to the soldiers who were led by retired colonel Yaura Sasa.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in a statement last night amnesty was granted to the serving Defence Force soldiers after a meeting of the National Executive Council.
“These are young men determined to serve their country in the military when they enlisted in the PNG Defence Force,” O’Neill said.
“They were, however, misled, used and led astray by desperate politicians and their masters and cronies.
“The soldiers were used by these self-serving individuals to achieve a political outcome.”
“As a responsible government, we will give them a second chance,” O’Neill said.
“We are giving these young men the opportunity to get back on the path to fulfilling their goals and ambitions in the force.”
The NEC also directed Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga and other relevant authorities to investigate and deal with all civilians and members of other civil authorities involved in inciting and participating in the mutiny.
   Sasa, who had been charged with inciting mutiny, remained in custody at the Bomana prison and was scheduled to re-appear in court on Feb 29.
A former military attaché, Sasa, 60, was appointed commander off the PNG Defence Force by Sir Michael Somare, who was ousted by a parliamentary vote last August but maintained he is the legitimate prime minister after he won a Supreme Court case last December.
Sasa and his group of more than 40 armed soldiers made their move in Port Moresby last Thursday, placing the commanding officer of Taurama barracks, Francis Kari, under house arrest. They then drove to the defence headquarters at Murray barracks where they also placed incumbent PNGDF Commander Brig- Gen Francis Agwi and other top military officers under house arrest.
The mutiny folded when senior officers around the country rejected Sasa.
Yesterday, the remnants of Sasa’s men, holed up at Taurama barracks since last Thursday, gave up their arms to Namah and Agwi.
Namah met with top military officials before attending a special parade at the Taurama barracks yesterday morning.
He was accompanied by Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, Community Development Minister Andrew Mald, National Planning Minister Sam Basil, Gulf Governor Havila Kavo, Inter-Government Relations Minister Mark Maipakai, Health Minister  Jamie Maxtone-Graham, Gazelle MP Malakai Tabar and Bougainville Affairs Minister Steven Kamma.
Namah told the soldiers, who surrendered 44 guns and ammunition, he would present the instruments of amnesty to cabinet and assured them they would be signed by the governor-general by the end of the day.
“I don’t just say, I do,” he told the estimated 200 soldiers who had gathered on the parade ground.
“I have directed my lawyers to prepare
the instruments and I will bring them
to cabinet today.
“There is only one government in Papua New Guinea – the O’Neill-Namah government.”
Namah also called on the soldiers to put their country first in their duties.
The soldiers pledged their support and loyalty to the O’Neill-Namah Government and to uphold the Constitution.
They also pledged not to recognise any person who claimed to be the legitimate government apart from the O’Neill-Namah government.
Namah said the handover of the weapons demonstrated that peace and normalcy was now restored within the PNGDF.
During the parade, Agwi declared Maj Freddy Aile as lieutenant colonel. He will replace Kari as commanding officer of Taurama barracks.
Police were seeking legal advice over laying more charges against Sasa for false imprisonment and deprivation of liberty.
The penalties for inciting mutiny are severe and, if found guilty, Sasa could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Lawyer Tiffaney Twivey charged with contempt

Lawyer Tiffaney Twivey has just been charged with contempt today apparently along with the entire O'Neill/Namah National Executive Council because she gave advice on the amendments to the Prime Minister and NEC Act.

"They say it was-sub judice," she said tonight.

"This is complete rubbish - the amendments covered completely different issues than the court case.

"It is an act of desperation - and not to hide what you think."

Twivey added: "My firm - in documents signed by me - filed contempt documents last Tuesday, January 24,  charging Arthur Somare and Peter Ipatas for contempt for offering a bribe of K200,000 to Police Commissioner's lawyer Alice Kimbu in return for her signing interim consent orders which would allow Fred Yakasa to be Police Commissioner until the substantive case is heard. 

"She refused and informed the State. 

"I filed the documents on behalf of the State and Parliament. 

" David Dotaona (Yakasa's lawyer) and Yakasa were arrested by the police over this and charged with 'attempting to pervert the course of justice'. 

"My clients have charged Somare and Ipatas with civil contempt.

"I am in Australia,  returning tomorrow."

O'Neill/Namah government thanked for help to jails

The O’Neill /Namah government has been thanked for allocating a total of K97.4 million under the 2012 budget appropriations covering both the re-current and development components of budget to the Correctional Services Department, K9.6m for the 2012 election component and K5m for jail maintenance in the second 2011 Supplementary budget.

First secretary to the Minister for Correctional Services (CS) Smith Sagao expressed this recently on behalf of Minister Sailon Beseo in Goroka during a ceremony to mark the completion of five renovated CIS houses at the Bihute Jail.

 Sagao said the department would be using the K9.6m election component of the budget to participate in the 2012 national elections in which 400 servicemen and women were required to be engaged in election duties.

The department will also utilise the 2012 budget effectively to implement the recommendations of the three independent reports by Price Water House Coopers, the National Security Advisory Council and the International Red Cross and Crescent Movement, respectively highlighting CIS reform, security and humanitarian issues.

The recommendations from these will be implemented through the newly-established Transitional Management Committee to reform CS and make the budget work.

“Effective service delivery is the focus of the O’Neill/Namah Government, and like all organisations, CIS has its own success and failures, however the new Minister is looking at improving service delivery within the department’s rank and file,” Sagao said.

He said Beseo’s first move to bring reform into CS was the endorsement and appointment by the National Executive Council of the new CIS acting Commissioner Martin Balthazar.

“Balthazar and his team were tasked apart from implementing the recommendations of the three independent reports, to work on amending the existing CIS Act to include payment of pensions to retired CIS officers, setting up of the Prison Industries Authority as a business arm of CS and rebuild/re-construct physical facilities of the jails,” Sagao said.

He further thanked the O’Neill/ Namah government for making available K4.6 million to cater for the CS officers' 7.6% salary increment late last year.

The occasion was witnessed by the CIS acting Commissioner Balthazar, contractor Kavare and jail commanders from the highlands region and Lae's Buimo jail.