MP loses K1 million in taxi

By ALISON ANIS
MEMBER for Telefomin Peter Iwei has appealed for the return of a misplaced K1 million cheque for his electorate in West Sepik.
Iwei told The National yesterday that the cheque, handed to him on Monday for his electorate under the district services improvement programme (DSIP), was misplaced on his way home and he suspected a cab driver for holding onto it.

Iwei said the cheque was written to the Telefomin district treasury operating trust account and was intended for the joint district planning and budget priorities committee to determine the projects to be funded. But, he carelessly left it behind in a taxi, and now wanted it returned.
He explained that on Monday afternoon, between 4pm and 6pm, he got into a white taxi that was parked at a driveway in front of parliament and asked the driver to take him to his house.
“The cheque was in a white envelope that I, accidentally, placed on the dashboard in front of me. I forgot to pick it up when I got out of the taxi,” Iwei said.
He said he knew the identity of the cab driver but did not know where he resided and was appealing to him, or anyone who picked it up, to return it to him.
 “This K1 million DSIP cheque belongs to the people of Telefomin.
“I want it returned to my office immediately so I am appealing to the driver, or whoever took it, to return it to me.”

Iwei said he had written to the Department of the Finance and Treasury to put a stop on the cheque.
“Treasury has received my letter and will advise the bank on this, so they can also stop any transaction from taking place,” he said.
Iwei was one of a number of MPs who were met at one of parliament’s conference rooms by Finance Department officials who had gone there to pay them the K1 million in DSIP funds.
It was unclear why Finance Department officials had decided to bring the cheques physically to parliament to pay the MPs when they could have easily transferred the funds electronically to the district accounts and simply advise the MPs that the funds were safely in the bank.
 

RESERVED SEATS FOR WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT LESS LIKELY (RADIO NEW ZEALAND)

Suggested headline for the Post Courier. 

A Papua New Guinea academic says it will be a challenge now to get reserved seats for women in time for the next election.

A bill to create 22 reserved seats for women has gone back to cabinet for reworking.Academic Dr Orovu Sepoe, who worked on the bill, says MPs refused to support the bill over a provision, added at the last minute, tying the reserved seats to provincial governorships.

“Women have been saying that ’what’s the big difference here’. The principle is still the same. It’s just that the governors in parliament at the moment are uncomfortable with tying womens’ seats to their seats. They would like to make it separate. The women are not very happy, because it is a commitment that has been made by the Government.”

Dr Orovu Sepoe says the change was made so the bill could be passed by a simple majority.

PNG PM denies kidnapping allegations

Ilya Gridneff, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

November 25, 2010Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare has denied claims he ordered a kidnap and attacked a non-government organisation activist.

Earlier this month Noel Anjo, an outspoken critic of the government, claimed he was bashed at the prime minister's home in 2009.

A front page newspaper story, supported by PNG's opposition, reported Mr Anjo's allegations that plain clothed police took him to Sir Michael's official residence, where the prime minister and his wife Lady Veronica Somare repeatedly punched him.

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In parliament on Wednesday, Sir Michael rejected Mr Anjo's claims.

"I can assure this parliament that Veronica and I never laid a finger on Noel Anjo let alone order any kidnapping," Sir Michael said.

"These claims remain allegations until they are proven.

"I want to let this house know that to date no charges have been laid against me.

"Only if the matter is taken up in court will I be obligated to answer to these politically-motivated claims.

"Nobody should put up with the kind of venom that my entire family has been subjected to over the recent number of years that I have been in office," he said.

The opposition's campaign against the government has repeatedly focused on numerous scandals that have plagued the two-term Somare government.

Thwarted attempts to topple the government this year with a vote of no confidence saw a mass defection to the opposition, including the former deputy prime minister Puka Tumu.

But despite the occasional wobble, the Somare government remains in tact and presides over strong economic growth.

However, opposition deputy leader Bart Philemon on Tuesday said the Somare government had not translated that economic growth into other areas.

"Despite eight years of political stability and unprecedented levels of revenue, the Somare government has failed to address strategic areas such as good governance and rising corruption, the public service has become bloated, ineffective and highly unproductive," he said.

PAPUA New Guinea's MPs have voted themselves a 52 per cent pay rise, immediately before adjourning parliament for six months.

They will earn $32,000 a year, compared with the average income per head of $1400. Prime Minister Michael Somare will earn $105,000 a year after Thursday's vote.

Opposition MPs walked out when the new Public Services Minister Moses Maladina proposed the pay hike, as urged by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

The commission comprises the Prime Minister, parliamentary Speaker, Opposition Leader, Chief Justice, and heads of the departments of personnel management and of labour and employment.

The pay hike, based on a review by US-based consultancy the Hay Group, will cost an initial $13 million, including backpay for last year. The MPs' pay rise came after a report was published by Care Australia this week saying PNG was suffering a "chronic humanitarian emergency".

Julia Newton-Howes, the chief executive of Care Australia, said a survey in PNG's eastern highlands showed that about 191 babies die in every 1000 live births - compared with fewer than five in Australia.

In the Yelia region those surveyed earn on average under $40 a year.

People in more than half the 260 households surveyed had eaten only one staple food - sweet potato - in the previous day.

Ms Newton-Howes said: "What little government-funded services they have access to, seem to make very little difference to their lives."

Australia will this year give PNG $457m in aid.

Prime minister of Papua New Guinea threatens to kill rival politician (A bit of history)

Sir Michael Somare, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, has threatened to kill an opposition MP in a day of high drama in the country's parliament.

Proceedings descended into chaos after the opposition tried to move a vote of no confidence in Sir Michael.

Despite the opposition having an obvious majority, the speaker ignored their calls for a formal vote, and announced he was adjourning parliament until November.

The decision prompted an outcry from the opposition benches, who accused Sir Michael, 74, of being "a dictator".

Clearly enraged, Sir Michael crossed the chamber, pointed his finger at the opposition MP, Sam Basil, and shouted in pidgin: "I am going to kill you outside."

The Prime Minister had to be calmed down by his son Arthur Somare.

Later a spokesman for the Prime Minister denied that he threatened to kill anyone, saying that his exact words were "you're dead meat".

Sir Michael, who has been prime minister for 16 of Papua New Guinea's 35 years of independence, is facing a direct challenge for the country's leadership from his former deputy Puka Temu and has recently seen his support fall to about 60 of the 86 MPs who elected him three years ago.

His National Alliance party is falling apart and it seems unlikely that he will survive as leader for much longer.

The veteran politician, who was knighted by the Queen in 1990, has courted controversy in recent years, earning Australia's wrath in 2006 when he ignored an extradition request for then-Solomon Islands Attorney General Julian Moti to face child sex charges.

In May, Sir Michael apologised after branding anti-corruption activists "mentally retarded", and in June, Papua New Guinea banned reporting and discussion of environmental law changes that could allow a Chinese miner to pump waste out to sea.

PNGDF can't handle an internal security threat!

Maj. Gen. Jerry Singirok in 1997

Two years ago,  the former commander of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force,  retired Major General Jerry Singirok, raised concerns about the state of the  PNGDF.  He said in very plain terms that the "army" was in no position to  protect the country from an internal security threat  similar to that on Bougainville. 
               Singirok  rose through the ranks  as a veteran of the Bougainville war   then became known as the commander who called on Prime Minister Julius Chan to resign when the government chose to hire Tim Spicer's Sandline mercenaries to end the Bougainville crisis.   Singirok believes  the country is nearing a tipping point in terms of its internal security. As a member of the Guns Committee  he has,  on many occasions, said  that the police are outgunned, the Defense force limited and inadequate with a little over 2000 men and women while  landowners and criminal gangs stockpile weapons for various reasons.  
               That  internal security threat has become more complicated with the buyout of local security firm G4S  by  a London based company owned by none other than  Tim Spicer himself.  
               The government itself can't deal with the situation even if it wanted to.   Spicer has too much money to play around with. Retired Colonel Reginald Renagi  says the Sandline Crisis had a tremendous psychological impact on political  minds. Many within political circles  are of the opinion that increasing the PNGDF's capacity to counter such an internal threat is a double edged sword and  that  a dissatisfied commander could create a situation similar to or worse than  the Sandline crisis in 1997.   
             But  then again, maybe we do need a situation like that again. Sandline caused political leaders to open their eyes and ears to the ordinary people.  The Chan government  needed some form of shock treatment which was delivered by Singirok and the military.  Singirok could have seized power if he  wanted. But he didn't.  

Jeffery Nape's innocent question

Papua New Guinea's Speaker of Parliament,  Jeffery Nape appears to have hit the spotlight again this time over the payment  K30 million alleged to have been paid to him to thwart a vote of no confidence motion this month.  
         Of course,  good ol' Jeffery responded with a statement parts of were printed in the  Rimbunan Hijau owned National Newspaper. 
“The office of the speaker categorically denies this rumour and wishes to inform members of parliament and the people of PNG that the rumour is false and malicious in nature, he said. 
“This rumour is being perpetrated by some people to discredit the good speaker of parliament for reasons only known to them,” the statement said.
          There's nothing wrong with issuing a public statement to clear your name. Problem is, How many Papua New Guineans are going to believe that?  It makes you wonder why the last attempt at a vote of no confidence didn't work out for Mekere and the opposition lot.  Did the other fence sitter politicians get paid off? 
While the statement may have been well intentioned, the speaker has several unresolved issues. His conduct during the governor general's vote  in September remains in question not to mention the numerous times  debates generated by the opposition has been stifled.