PM appoints Somare as acting Treasurer

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has appointed Angoram MP Arthur Somare the acting Finance and Treasury Minister.
Government insiders told The National the prime minister signed the instrument for the appointment of Somare last Friday, and a public announcement on this change is expected this week.
This portfolio became vacant after incumbent Patrick Pruaitch was suspended from office because of his referral to a leadership tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office.
Pruatich is challenging his referral in court, and the case is pending.
There has been a lot of jostling and lobbying for this job since Pruaitch vacated it, and a number of ministers and backbenchers were hoping the job would go to them. But, insiders said, the job had to remain in the Momase region under the Kokopo Agreement that the National Alliance and its coalition partners agreed to after the general elections.
“A number of eligible and qualified candidates have missed out, but that is the nature of these political agreements,” an insider said when confirming the appointment of Somare.
Somare will double up as Public Enterprises Minister as well.
But the appointment raised eyebrows in some circles, with Somare also confronting misconduct allegations of his own.
The public prosecutor last week asked the chief justice to appoint a judge to head a leadership tribunal to inquire into allegations of misconduct in office which were referred in 2006.
Somare continues to hold office because he had taken out an injunction against his suspension, and is challenging his referral in court.

National Newspaper, June 26, 2010

PM and speaker collude to break law: Opposition

THE opposition last Friday accused Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare of breaking the law in the drama surrounding the “appointment” of Sir Paulias Matane to a second term in office.
Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta accused the prime minister of conniving with the speaker to break the law.
Sir Mekere also questioned the impartiality of the speaker.
“It is clear the speaker is no longer independent. Today, Somare created a new form of democracy unique to PNG,” the opposition leader told a news conference after Parliament rose last Friday afternoon.
“Parliament has become useless. It is being used by the executive government with the help of the speaker.”
Sir Mekere said MPs were led to believe that they were voting to get incumbent Sir Paulias eligible for the election of the nation’s ninth governor-general.
He said after the 84-13 vote in which MPs stood up to vote, they were expecting the secret ballot process to follow to elect the next GG.
“That process was flouted by the National Alliance and Somare. There appears to be no respect for the law. Enough is enough. We might as well close down Parliament and allow Somare to run the
country as he likes.”
Bulolo MP Sam Basil said the other candidates – Sir Pato Kakaraya, Sir Makena Geno and Ronald Rimbao – were denied an opportunity to be elected to a public office.
“We have broken the law and I urge these candidates to go to court and challenge this.”
Mendi MP Pastor Isaac Joseph questioned why the government was so worried to deny the secret ballot taking place.
“What is the motive? The three are also Papua New Guineans who deserve an opportunity to be elected to this office.”
Finchhafen MP Theo Zurenuoc said it was clear the government MPs were voting with fear, a fear of being singled out if they did not vote with the prime minister.
He warned that people would lose respect for the government and rebel if the government did not care and continue to break the laws of the country.

National Newspaper June 26, 2010

Environment Act lacks vision

The Government’s recent amendment to the Environ-mental Act can be considered irresponsible, conceited, blind-folded and lacking vision.
The amendment is an enhancement for the Government because landowners in any future mining operations will hardly render the initial permit for the operation to proceed, given the doubts pertaining to the obvious unrecompensed environmental damages.
On the same hand, one may argue that the amendment restricts only third party involvement however the practicality of landowners pursuing a court injunction is a far-fetched option hence rendering landowners pursuit for environmental justice a tedious exercise.
So why did the Government go ahead to pass the bill in haste?

Niglembia
Mondia Khen Nem

Post Courier, June 28, 2010

Pala warns of comments on Environment Act

The Government’s top legal officer has warned people and media groups against publishing or making commentaries about the recent amendments to the Environment Act 2000.

This includes anyone who co-ordinates and conducts public meetings, demonstrations or public protests, Attorney General Ano Pala cautioned yesterday. Otherwise, they ran the risk of being cited for contempt of court, a notice issued by Mr Pala, a former longtime Clerk of Parliament, stated.

The minister’s warning is based on a Supreme Court reference filed by Nonggorr and William Lawyers for its clients Sana Melanbo, Eddie Tarsie and Farina Siga on June 3 seeking the court opinion as to whether the amended Act was unconstitutional.

Last night, the four Madang landowners represented by the Nonggorr law firm issued a statement, challenging Mr Pala’s statement. They were, advised that there was nothing before the court that prevented the media or anybody discussing if the law was a good piece of legislation as a matter of public policy.

“There is nothing preventing the media or anyone from discussing, if the Act is constitutional as the Attorney General and Government are saying and will likely argue before the court, if that is a good piece of legislation”, they said. They said Mr Pala’s advice was extraordinary. “Why has he not given this advice to the NEC, and the Parliament, so that all the parliamentary debate on it this week should not have taken place.” they said in a statement issued from Madang.

They said the Attorney General had no power to direct police what to do and that the Constitution said nobody outside the police force could direct the police on laying and prosecuting charges.

The minister in his statement advised the general public that there should not be anymore discussions, comments or reference conducted in the media or anywhere else in public as this matter was now sub-judice.

This means, there will be no more talkback radio programs and interviews, no more advertisements, no more letters to the editors, no more public meetings, public demonstrations protest marches, the minister warned.

“Everyone’s freedom of expression is now subsumed into this court case. This means that you also have a right to be represented at the hearing of this Supreme Court reference and can either be represented by the same lawyer or others who can represent you on the same reference”, Mr Pala said.

Post Courier, June 25, 2010