Daily Headings: July 2011

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Our People, Our Region - Madang Province, Papua New Guinea

ISLANDS OF PNG

Bagabag Island

Bagabag is in the province of Madang Province in Papua New Guinea and it is a dormant volcano.
It is an island made up of only four villages. Bagabag is the closest island to Karkar island. People from the last Karkar normally paddle to Bagabag to for visit and some by the course of the ocean tide and current. The island is rich with betel-nut, local pigs and the food. The life on the island is very interesting as people are very few and they know each other very well.

source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/mpost.htm

ABG pins hopes on 7 deals

Islands region

Monday 4th July, 2011

ABG pins hopes on 7 deals

BOUGAINVILLE has high hopes the seven Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) signed in China would help the region prepare for its economic prosperity and fiscal self- reliance.
And the ABG is also optimistic these MOUs signed with multi-billion business houses of China will enhance and help Bougainville prosper through to referendum and economic independence.
ABG vice President Patrick Nisira said this in his address to ex-combatants during their meeting and preparation to move into Konnou and Sininai to sort out the law and order situation in south Bougainville.
“The Government of China, the various Chambers of Commerce in China and the businesses that have prudent records in China have signed seven MOUs with us,” he said.
“The Chinese are ready and willing to invest huge amounts of money in Bougainville, not only for their benefit, but also for us in Bougainville. Their government is aware of the situation we are placed in. China has also experienced the pains that we have gone through – maybe worse. They are genuine. They understand fully well the ABG’s policy in the “no standalone” business in Bougainville. All foreign investments in the region must be through partnership with Bougainvilleans.
“The first investment opportunity that is on offer is the declaration of the Kokopau township into a special economic zone which in turn will deliver a new multi-billion dollar “harmonious town”.
“This is the arrangement that ABG has gainfully engaged in besides talking to other potential investors, both within PNG and abroad.
“We do not have the luxury of time, as I have often quoted, we only have four years to 2015 and nine years to 2020. We must provide the environment that would be conducive for change. We cannot forever sit back and accept the way things are. We need change, change for the better welfare of our families and our future generation and we have to create change now,” Mr Nisiria said.

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source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/ispost03.htm

Police start operations

Mamose Post

Monday 4th July, 2011

Police start operations

POLICE have started their pre-election operations for the 2012 National General Elections.
This was made known by the Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie during a police parade in which he addressed in Madang.
Mr Wagambie said the operation was launched in Port Moresby and part of it involved awareness on the purpose and importance of elections, particularly in areas where guns are known to be involved.
He said elections are all about voting leaders and those who would ensure service delivery.
“…The choice you make will bring service or the lack of it, that is the message we would like to get across to our people and the other that there can only be one winner,” he said.
He said with the kind of money the current members of parliament were now having access to, he expected this would also trigger an increase in the number of candidates for each open electorate.
There were other issues which the top cop addressed including use of police vehicles which he added was currently an issue with front-line policing
Mr Wagambie said rightfully, those who were entitled to one included the Assistant Commissioners, the regional commanders and not everyone.
“…Those in sections including prosecution, have no reason to be driving around in police cars after hours because their job ends at 4.06 when the courthouse closes,” he said.

[Go to the top] ©Copyright, 2004, Post-Courier Online. Use of this site is governed by our Legal Notice.

source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/mamose03.htm

Our People, Our Land - Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea

With a history of gold mines and coffee plantations, Eastern Highlands Province has had more exposure to European influence than any of the other Highlands provinces. It has a history full of colourful characters - miners, missionaries, patrol officers, plantation owners. Traditional dress is seldom worn these days, although the Highlanders still live in villages of neat clusters of low walled round huts built amongst the rolling kunai-grass covered hills.
Goroka, a small outpost station in the 1950’s, has developed into an attractive, well organised town with modern facilities and relaxed atmosphere. It is a major Highlands commercial centre of 25,000 people and at an altitude of 1600 metres it has a climate of perpetual spring.Today Goroko has become known for its annual show, held every August. It is a marvellous opportunity to gain an overview of PNG’s cultural diversity. The shows were first held in the 50’s as a means of gathering together the different tribes and clans. At times there could be more than 40,000 painted warriors dancing to the beat of the Kundu drums.

source:http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/hpost.htm

Yutok-NA leader to be decided soon

yutok

Monday 4th July, 2011

NA leader to be decided soon

Who will be the next leader of the National Alliance (NA) Party?
That is the big question that Papua New Guineans are asking as they watch and wait to see who will take over as leader of the most powerful political party ever to come out of PNG politics since independence in 1975.
The position of party leader has fallen vacant since the family of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare retired him from politics last week due to his poor health condition. When that decision is formalised, after the process to retire the PM started by cabinet last week comes to a conclusion, Sir Michael does not only leave the post of PM and as MP for East Sepik Province, he also leaves the post of leader of NA, which he helped founded and led for the last nine or so years.
The NA constitution clearly provides the guidelines on how a leader is succeeded in the event the incumbent retires, loses his seat in a election or the position becomes vacant because the leader is unable to perform due to ill health. Section 17 of the NA constitution states that the four regional deputies of the party qualify automatically to contest and the one that wins, becomes the new leader. The process to replace Sir Michael Somare as leader of NA had started well before he had gone to Singapore for his medical check and hospitalisation. It was a question of when the election was to take place.
If we go by the NA constitution, Don Polye, Patrick Pruaitch, Ano Pala and Fidelis Semoso will be the candidates as they qualify to contest. Pruaitch, however is most certainly out of the race as a Supreme Court ruling last Friday points out that by the operation of the National Constitution, he is suspended from office because he faces a leadership tribunal over misconduct in office charges. That leaves the race to the other three leaders, however Mr Semoso may also be automatically suspended if the Public Prosecutor refers him to a leadership tribunal. There are other NA leaders like Sam Abal, Paul Tienstien, Mark Maipakai and Arthur Somare who are senior members from the party that may contest for the post. Somare, like Pruaitch is automatically suspended from office, because he too is facing a leadership tribunal. The tussle for the NA leadership is already dividing the ruling party in Government. Though party members are trying really hard to deny this, there is a clear division between the faction led by Polye and the other led by Abal. The news that the party was moving to resolve this issue before the next sitting of Parliament is good news, for NA supporters around the country. By July next year, the writs for the 2012 national elections will be issued and it is important for NA that it goes into the elections as a united force.
Every political party in Parliament right now is preparing to go into the elections and as usual, they will fight NA at all fronts to win votes and form the new government. The preparations for the elections are going smoothly. The PNG Electoral Commission and the Police are working together with the Inter departmental committee on elections, to make sure that the coming elections must be safe and secure for everyone to exercise their right to cast their vote. The report about tribal fighting in Enga and the use of firearms in these ethnic clashes goes to show that the build-up of firearms in rural communities in the Highlands is real. The police are very well aware of what to expect in the Highlands and are making their own preparations and they have submitted a budget to the National Government for funding.
The force is hoping that this money will be provided to them, much of it in the November budget, but if the government fails them, their entire plan will be thrown into disarray. Let’s hope this does not happen.

Bennett recalls Magic of Lockyer in State of Origin

Sports

Monday 4th July, 2011

Bennett recalls

Magic of Lockyer in State of Origin

COOLUM, Qld: Rugby league’s most successful duo — Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer — only had cross words once.
And it was over State of Origin.
The super coach will be at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night to see his former star pupil play his 36th and final Origin game.
Such is the bond between them, he will also be in the stands later this year when Lockyer, barring injury, plays his 350th premiership game, passing the all-time individual mark of 349 currently shared by Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies.
He'll also watch his last club game which could even be the grand final in October against Bennett's Dragons.
That would be Hollywood stuff.
Bennett revealed Origin had been the centre of their only “blow-up” during a long and successful relationship at the Broncos.
Lockyer had ruptured his ACL playing against the Cowboys late in 2007.
The knee injury plagued him and undermined his confidence in the early months of 2008 and eventually kept him out of the entire Origin series which Queensland won.
“We’d never had a cross word but we had a blow-up over Origin in 2008,” Bennett told AAP.
“Darren wanted to play Origin so badly and before the first two games he’d say he was going to play, then he’d ring me and change his mind because he desperately wanted to play but was struggling for us (Broncos) and we knew we had to pull him out.
“Before the third Origin he came into my office and said ‘I’m going to play in Origin III' and I said ‘mate, you’re not going to make it, you’re not fit, it’s not going to happen’.
“He got really animated and said ‘I’ll prove you wrong’.
“I told him he had nothing to prove to me and that I wanted him to play but I told him he wouldn’t be fit enough for an Origin game.
“He replied ‘I’ll show you what I can do’.
“In the end, he didn’t play Origin III, as hard as he tried and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t overcome the odds, it was a bridge too far.”
Lockyer played his first Origin under Bennett in 1998 — a nail-biting 24-23 win over the Blues, the first of many games he pulled out of the fire for his favourite coach.
The coach’s memories of Lockyer's Origin debut are fresh and clear.
“NSW were on our try line leading by five. They put a short kick in ... Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, they had everybody playing," Bennett said, reliving the final magical moments.
“Shane Webcke fell on it, we played it, the ball went wide, Kevvie Walters put a chip kick in, Ben Ikin ran it down.
“He got up, played the ball, a couple of passes wide, Jason Smith and then Tonie Carroll (whose selection was bagged in the match program) turns up and scores and Lockyer kicks the goal and we win.
“Incredible stuff.”
Lockyer played in four Origin series under Bennett for two wins, a draw and one loss — a record the coach insists was 3-1.
“We bloody won three series together,” he says, counting the 2002 drawn series as a win. The final game of the series ended in an 18-all draw with winger Lote Tuqiri missing a conversion after the siren knowing Queensland had already retained the series' shield.
“Darren was a wonderful goal-kicker but he didn’t enjoy the pressure of it,” said Bennett.
“It was the only thing about the game he didn’t enjoy but he did it because the team wanted him to.

source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/sport01.htm

Equipment to be deployed

Business

Monday 4th July, 2011

Equipment to be deployed

MARINE environmental monitoring equipment will be deployed this week off the coast of the Basamuk Bay in the Madang Province.
Deployment of the monitoring equipment will be done through the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).
It will be used to research the incidence of ocean upwelling in relation to the operations of the Ramu Mine.
Mining Minister John Pundari said in a statement that the aim of the research was to make significant scientific measurements to ensure that the physical oceanography surrounding the tailings pipeline was fully understood.
“This will guarantee that the proposed deep sea tailings placement at Ramu is managed effectively,” Mr Pundari said.
He confirmed that four moorings containing a number of instruments that will continuously measure temperature, salinity and ocean currents, have been deployed.
The moorings will be recovered every three months over a period of 12 months and the data obtained will be analysed by SAMS.
A final report will be made in conjunction with the meteorological and satellite data on the physical ocean conditions that are operating during 2011 and 2012at Basamuk.
The first recovery of the moorings is scheduled for October and will include the participation of officers of the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) who will be trained by SAMS in the deployment, retrieval and operation of the monitoring instruments.
Part of the training will include data analysis and interpretation for these officers at the Scottish Marine Institute of in Scotland.
“I am pleased to announce on behalf of the Government that as part of this contract, all the state of the art oceanographic monitoring equipment provided will now be owned and operated by PNG through the relevant agencies to monitor and regulate the mining industry,” Mr Pundari said.
The Scottish Association of Marine Science is a leading and oldest independent marine research organisation with five major research themes Arctic research, marine processes and climate; marine renewable energy; prosperity from marine ecosystems; and industrial impacts on oceans.

source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110704/business01.htm

Acting PM denies himself a portfolio

Acting PM denies himself a portfolio

By TODAGIA KELOLA

ACTING Prime Minster may have self-destructed himself when he did not allow himself a ministry during his recent major reshuffle of Cabinet.
Under the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act 2000, the Acting Prime Minister ceases to hold office when he/she ceases to be a minister.
Realising the seriousness of the situation, government advisers are now frantically looking for ways to fulfill the legal requirements and create a new ministry for Mr Abal.
Mr Abal was Works Minister when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. When Sir Michael went to hospital in Singapore for his heart surgery, Mr Abal became Acting Prime Minister during which time he sacked two ministers and in the process of shuffling his Cabinet portfolios, he gave away his Works job to Peter O’Neill.
And by operation of law, the country was without an Acting Prime Minister since last week.
A private lawyer and former National and Supreme Court judge Nemo Yalo pointed out the seriousness of the situation in a media statement yesterday.
“The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is established under Section 3(1) of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council Act 2002. He is appointed by the Head of State acting on advice of the Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister loses his office under three scenarios stipulated under Section 3(3) of the Act. These are removal by the Head of State acting on advice from the Prime Minister or when he ceases to be a Minister or when he resigns from office.
The specific words of Section 3(3)(b) of the Act are: “The Deputy Prime Minister ... ceases to hold office if he ceases to be a Minister”.
The acting Prime Minister ceased to be the Minister for Works effective on June 22, 2011 when he relinquished his ministerial portfolio to Peter O’Neill.
A gazettal notice No G163 of June 22, 2011 shows Mr Abal’s amendments to the Determination of Titles and Responsibilities of Ministers. But the Governor-General’s decision based on that advice is not published in the National Gazette. “However, his intention is complete. Mr Abal currently holds no other ministerial portfolio so by operation of Section 3(3)(b), Mr Abal appears no longer the Deputy Prime Minister effective from 22 June 2011,” Mr Yalo said.
“The Prime Minister appointed Mr Abal as Acting Prime Minister under Section 4 of the Act. If the Prime Minister were not to make that appointment before he fell ill, Mr Abal would still have automatically assumed the position of Acting Prime Minister by operation of Section 4(1)(c) of the Act. This provision states that: “Subject to Subsection (2), when ... the Prime Minister is (i) absent from the country; or (ii) out of speedy and effective communication; or (iii) otherwise unable or not readily available to perform the duties of his office, the Deputy Prime Minister is the Acting Prime Minister”.
“Effective as of 22 June 2011, Mr Abal ceased to be the Acting Prime Minister because he is no longer the Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Abal has voluntarily removed the soil and the foundational rock on which the Acting Prime Minister’s feet were firmly placed. There appears nothing in law now keeping him upright as the Acting Prime Minister.
“If Mr Abal wishes to remain the Deputy Prime Minister and therefore the Acting Prime Minister, he must reverse his decision and retain his Ministry of Works. He must immediately advice the Head of State not to execute his advice,” Mr Yalo said.
And he strongly recommended that this is the time when the executive leadership deserves the best legal advice. In my view, “politics and law are two separate streams that should run parallel in the channel of public interest, the former running along subject to the latter and not otherwise, both running ultimately to the sea of public benefit”.

Report: K1.2 billion missing, MPs named

News

Monday 4th July, 2011

Report: K1.2 billion missing, MPs named

By SIMON ERORO

Certain Ministers and senior bureaucrats have been named in a report that forms part of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring Secretary, Joseph Lelang’s affidavit now before the National Court.
The copy of the affidavit obtained by Post-Courier highlights that about 90 per cent or K1.2 billion of the total of K2.1 billion direct PNG Government funding for its development budget has allegedly gone missing in the three months when Mr Lelang was out on suspension. Philemon Was Korowi, from Philemon Korowi Lawyers who is representing Mr Lelang in court, confirmed that the national fraud squad will provide its own report to the court.
In the report, the total 2011 development budget stands at K4.2 billion of which K2.1 billion is direct funding from the National Government while the balance comprises foreign aid monies with almost 75 per cent of these coming from AusAID.
The report, which highlights alleged massive corruption within the department, states that K1.9 billion was the total warrant authorities which was issued by the Department of Treasury of which K735 million in project monies are placed under trust accounts held by the Department of Finance.
The report states that the Department of Finance will be responsible for funding development projects directly and that the remainder of K1.2 billion was released to projects by DNPM over the three months from March – May, 2011. There has been abuse of project screening and planning processes and that officers of the DNPM had been directed and pressured to make sure that they manipulated the appraisals of projects to pass the screening criteria so that they are eligible for funding, the report states.
The report highlights that the investigation established that certain payments were made to companies which were allegedly linked to senior officers at the Department of National Planning. Further checks with the bank records as to the signatories to these company accounts show actual names of the department officers and bank transactions of payments to certain individuals and politicians, the report states.

Monday 4 July 2011

Somare, Pruaitch out

Somare, Pruaitch out

By PETER KORUGL

TWO senior ministers facing leadership tribunals were suspended from office last Friday by operation of a Supreme Court ruling that leaders referred to a tribunal must step down from office with immediate effect.
Public Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare and Finance and Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch, both facing separate leadership tribunals over misconduct charges, were automatically suspended from office by a three-member Supreme Court bench.
The leadership tribunal investigating Mr Somare’s alleged misconduct in office charges starts today while Mr Pruaitch’s case is pending before a National Court.
The Supreme Court also ruled that any move to take out court injunctions against leadership tribunal proceedings are viewed as abuse of process and should be declined without exception.
And if the Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Fidelis Semoso, is also referred to a Leadership Tribunal by the Public Prosecutor, he will also be suspended from office.
The Supreme Court decision last Friday clarified that the Constitution was specific that all public office holders except for the Prime Minister and a few others, are automatically suspended from office when they are referred to a leadership tribunal.
The Ombudsman Commission and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are expected to write to the two MPs to inform them of the judgement today and its effect.
Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, Justice Nicholas Kirriwom and Justice Ambeng Kandakasi clarified the operations of the law on the suspension of leaders facing misconduct charges when dismissing the constitutional reference filed by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare on the powers of the Ombudsman Commission to investigate and refer leaders in April this year.
In its deliberations, the Supreme Court reviewed two earlier decisions it made in the Patrick Pruaitch case, in which in the earlier decision, the same court suspended Pruaitch but this was overturned in the second judgement when the same matter returned to the same court.
“In developed democracies, people who hold public office, who become the subject of allegations and investigations for any misconduct in office, readily either resign or step aside to allow for the investigations and the due process of the law to take its course. They do this out of respect for themselves, the integrity of the office they hold and respect for the due process of law,” the Supreme Court ruled.
The court ruled that the tradition of voluntary stepping down in the light of allegations and accusations of misconduct in office or criminal conduct of a public office holder became part of PNG’s democracy and tradition.
It cited two cases involving sitting MPs stepping aside, the first being Opai Kunangel and then Sir Julius Chan.
“It is becoming a norm for most leaders in PNG who are subject of allegations and investigations for misconduct in office or criminal offences to continue to occupy their offices and are readily applying for injunctive orders,” the court ruled.
“Some of them are interfering into the proper conduct of investigations. Others are doing everything they possibly can to remain in office, continue to function and in most instances are either committing more misconduct in office from tampering with evidence, interfering with witnesses, swindling of funds or abusing their powers knowing that they may not last long in those offices.”
The court touched on the first case involving Pruaitch and reaffirmed what the first judgment highlighted about duly appointed tribunals being left frustrated and unable to perform.
“This will make a mockery of the Leadership Code, particularly the work of the Ombudsman Commission in enforcing the Leadership Code. The inquiries will continue to be stalled and the leaders whose integrities are already called into question will continue to discharge leadership responsibilities,” the court ruled.
The three-man bench upheld the ruling in the first Pruaitch case that a leader who is referred to a leadership tribunal is automatically suspended from office if the leader had not already stood down voluntary. The court stated that the decision in the second Pruaitch case did not refer to any authorities in the way the decision in Pruaitch case No. 1 did and arrived at the view that, the question of suspension does not arise until the charges and statement of reasons are presented to the leadership tribunal.
It observed that Pruaitch case No. 2 did not refer, discuss and demonstrate how various authorities and provisions of the Constitution and the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leaders Decision No. 1 referred to and relied upon, were wrong and therefore no good law for them to follow.
The court also ruled that Pruaitch case No. 2 failed to note that the Constitution provides for automatic suspension of leaders that were subject of investigations and referred to a leadership tribunal except for the Prime Minister and others covered under specific provisions, given the importance of the office they held.