What's up, What's happening

So what has been going on PNG?

1) The Somare/Moti/Defence Board Inquiry Supreme Court Appeal: Was there actually an appeal? What stage are we at? Generally, what is going on? If anyone has info please update me, meanwhile i'll be on the hunt for an update from sources too. You can certainly tell I haven't been up with all my current affairs.

What I do know is that Moti is now back in Australia facing the child sex offences he ran from and into the safety of PNG, where our Government had no problems with sending him, VIP like, to the Solomons, using state property and services! Newcomers are welcome to browse my old post on this which looks into the legality of the whole Moti debacle.

2) The sacking of Issac Lupari, the Chief Secretary to Government: Mr Lupari has asked for a judicial review of the decision to sack him. He has/had two cases pending, with primary defendants being Somare and the Public Service Commission. I see the National Court was due to hand down its decision for Mr Lupari's action against Somare on 21 July 2008, what was the verdict?

3) And before he goes out of office, the Chief Ombudsman, Ila Geno, has attempted to reel Somare in. Somare lost his bid to have an injunction granted against the OC's inquiry and now he is appealing it. Apparently there was a mention before the National Court on 24 July 2008 but i wonder if a trial date was set and when? Well done to the OC nonetheless for doing their job!

4) Here is a link to a very good article summarising some of the happenings in PNG politics in the last 6 months: http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=18031/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl. Such as Somare and his problems with the OC and Lupari and the power struggle going-on between Government pollies for the big seat once Somare e v e n t u a l l y decides to retire. The best/quickest way right now for Somare to lose his throne (and there are so many reasons why) and for political power to be decentralised (let's face it, no one PNG PM has accumulated as much political power, influence and total disregard for proper processes as Somare) is for the government to break down from inside. Right now is when Chan and Morouta should be playing the old "divide & conquer" card. If our politicians weren't so greedy, people like Polye would have started walking away from Government some 6 months ago. I wish he would and lead a mass exodus with him. I'm not for a unstable country but neither am i for an autocracy or an oligarchy!

5) What do you think about Chan asking for the organic law on the integrity of political parties and candidates to be scrapped? I believe the initial intention behind it was good, i mean think back to the time when we had government changes every few months, however, i agree there is potential for exploitation, especially where the grace period is a whole 18 MONTHS!? 12 months should be the max, and if elections in PNG weren't such a big, violent, money- wasting hoopla I would even champion shorter electoral terms of 3 years. I know these integrity laws actually encompass more than a grace period and i need to really look at them because they may actually cause more restrictions than they are worth.

6) Also, how damn long is that finance inquiry taking?! According to the PNG Gossip Newsletter, "Chairman of the commission looking into the Finance Department, Maurice Sheehan, is still waiting on the K13 million promised by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in May. The commission has three months remaining to finalise a report for the Prime Minister to present to Parliament."

To end this first real back blogging, here's a bit more ~crazy~ talk from the Rt Hon Grand Chief, M T Somare, GCL GCMG CH CF KStJ Prime Minister http://www.pm.gov.pg/pmsoffice/pmsoffice.nsf/pages/0038CE0D9B4D4D204A2573AD00207C8F?OpenDocument. Do you really know what the people deserve Mr Somare? They deserve the truth and they deserve leadership and respect from their "leaders" for the laws and institutions of this country!

Is "political space" enough?

A letter to the Minister of Defence asking him to table the Moti Report has been posted below. If anyone has his email address that would be fantastic, at the moment i've got a postal address and you can still email the national newspapers.

Now on to my rant. There is a reason PNGscape is NOT a Kumul Link (right-hand column). PNGscape exemplifies how much PNGeans are capable of talking about something without lifting a finger to do anything. Yes much of it has to do with our feeling of powerlessness but a whole lot of it, especially for the small population that enjoys a good standard living, many of those who have access to the Internet, is plain LAZINESS. No one wants to do anything.

Am i sounding bitter? Maybe so. When i first drafted the letter to the PM, i posted it on Scape and asked people to join in ...but nothing. No replies, and the replies i did get were dismissive. On principle I try to avoid the site because it displays this accepting/can't be bothered/ it's too hard/ unable to do anything/ ineffective complain complain complain/unproductive attitudes held by so many of us. Me included. Sometimes I can't be bothered. Yes, sites like Scape may be comparable to Habermas' "political space" (or civic space) and allows PNGeans to talk about issues that they may be unable to do so within the constrictions of PNG society, freely, but what good is that if no one is willing to act on it? Is it a slow process that will evolve into an active protest against corruption, misconduct and other issues with the Government and general bureaucratic and political systems of PNG? I don't know, it happened in Indonesia in what was labelled the first "Internet revolution, " so maybe it can happen in PNG

Speaking of Indonesia, if anyone has studied the paternalistic system of Governance under Indonesia's Suharto, you'll find there are growing similarities with Somare's regime (and no 'regime' does not automatically have negative-dictator connotations, however fitting that would be, it's just a sub for 'government.') Growing. And the more people shut-up about it the worse it will get. At this stage other than speaking out in every possible way we can, we must also ensure that our judicial system remain independent and impartial, PNG has been lucky and we need to increase the security of the judiciary so they can continue to act as they have been. How to do that i'm not sure about, because really the intiative needs to come from the Government and that's where we have a Catch-22 situation.

In actual news, Ila Geno the Chief Ombudsman emphasised during the week, at the National Development Forum that Government funds for the community should be used as such and that MPs need to be transparent in how they use the funds and be accountable for its use. He said MPs should make records available to the public and ensure public servants are well salaried to stop temptation. I can only hope some part of that message penetrated the minds of those present.

I am also aware that Bire Kimisopa was challenging the new member for Goroka Open in Court. Anyone have updates on that? He was a truly outstanding politician last term and if he doesn't succeed in returning I hope that the current Goroka Open MP can be just as upstanding and outspoken.

OC,RH & the National, money tricks, violence against women

Ok so I put the wrong address down for letters to the PM so correction it’s; pmsmedia@pm.gov.pg NOT pmsmedia@pm.gov.AU , as you may well be able to tell ‘.au’ is a prefix I drop behind a lot of my emails for work and family purposes. (Thanks Peter)

Now back to Moti. I found one of the drafted letters to the PM published in the Post, of course with their editions and nothing at the end asking the PM to adhere to the laws of this country which he himself implemented but I’m happy it was published anyway. I was also a bit surprised to find out that the Ombudsman Commission has been conducting an investigation into the Moti issue since last year (navigate to "News" tab). Yes, it begun around the same time as the Defence Force Board of Inquiry and the inquiry by the office of the Chief Secretary but is apparently still on-going though I fail to see how a small incident, time and logistics wise, could take such a long time to investigate. Maybe they’re hoping we’ll forget about it but thanks to the Post for printing this, we now know it’s still around.

I’ve drafted a letter (posted below) asking the Ombudsman Commission to basically hurry-up with their investigations. If any of you agree with this please feel free to copy and paste the letter and email or airmail it off to the Ombudsman Commission. I’m still not on to that letter for the Defence Minister requesting he table the Moti Report in parliament.

On the grapevine, notable sources have told that members of the former Somare Government entered elections with K3 million each, which was supplied from a fund initially set aside for resolving possible land-owner problems with the (now failed) proposed Australian gas pipeline project. Now I read that Patrick Pruitich is siphoning off a certain K500 million to a different trust account for future gas projects. My question is does the whole K500 million still exist? Or could this be the same money that was used for elections and is now being publicly announced (true or otherwise) as being stored away, to ward off any requests for its possible re-distribution or questions as to why it hasn’t been re-distributed yet?? Maybe I’m totally off the mark but only time will tell.

In other news I truly laughed at The National printing this crap. What they fail to inform readers is that this consulting firm is employed by RH to write these reports and has been employed by RH to do so for the last few years. Selective reporting indeed. I have no doubt RH employs PNGeans etc… but at what price are they “contributing” to this nation, and what is their NET contribution once social factors including: government and public sector manipulation, environmental damage and the fact that they “govern” certain remote areas of PNG are taken into account.

Please send a letter to the Ombudsman Commission and the papers if you agree with the drafted letter below and return to this site for a letter to the Defence Minister. We should not be prepared to let the Moti issue die, especially since it is unclear whether Somare has in fact appealed the decision of the National Court, and if not are we all expected to sit around in limbo?

Before I sign off I heartily endorse Lady Kidu’s campaign for zero tolerance on violence against women, the women of PNG who are standing up to the “norm” of violence against women in PNG, and The Post for championing this campaign! I don’t know if the petition is still doing the rounds, if it is, please sign it!

Update: I recieved a prompt reply from Mr Ila Geno, the Chief Ombudsman, which is posted below.

Letter to the Ombudsman Commission

Below is a letter to the Ombudsmen Commission. If you agree with the sentiments please cut and paste and send it to the Mr Illa Geno the Chief Ombudsman at ila.geno@ombudsman.gov.pg, and John Nero the Ombudsmen at john.nero@ombudsman.gov.pg. Again, I encourage sending letters either by your real identity or under pseudonym if you feel unsafe to do the former. What matters is showing the numbers in discontent.

Dear [Mr Geno] or [Mr Nero],

I am writing this letter as a concerned Papua New Guinean to request that the Ombudsmen Commission act with urgency in completing its investigations into the Moti Affair. Further, I ask that the Ombudsman Commission take into account recommendations made by the Defence Force Tribunal’s findings in the “Moti Report,” in concluding its investigations.

I believe it is of vital importance that these investigations are completed thoroughly and directly. Delay in taking such measures has resulted in the People’s loss of confidence in the Government, the Office of the Prime Minister and in the legal processes of this country. It is the Ombudsman Commission’s duty to ensure that public offices are held in the highest honour, and I implore your Office to fulfil its obligation by taking action on this matter. It has been a year since the Moti incident and the failure of the Ombudsman Commission to release its findings on the matter is both concerning and disappointing.

I request the Ombudsman Commission fulfil its duties under Section 218 of the Constitution, which requires supervision of the Leadership Code and the duty to ensure that all governmental bodies are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the People. Corruption such as that alleged in the Moti incident not only relates to possible abuses of public office, including the office of the Prime Minister, but exemplifies the wide-spread abuse of power in decision-making processes, throughout governmental bodies and agents, which results in neglect of the People’s needs and aspirations. I implore the Ombudsman Commission to address such practises by concluding its investigations into the Moti Affair and releasing a Report, which I hope is both diligent and precise in its findings and recommendations.

I thank you for your time and place my faith in the Ombudsman Commission to fulfil its Constitutional duties.


Yours Sincerely,
[Your name/pseudonym]

Update: I recieved a prompt reply from Mr Ila Geno, the Chief Ombudsman, which reads as follows:

Kumul karai,
Congratulations for expressing your concerns which I understand and appreciate and could not agree with you more in clearly stating the importance of institutions such as the Ombudsman Commission which must be seen to be performing its duties diligently and timely. I want to assure you that Ombudsman Commission is continuing with the investigations as stated in the print media lately and will independently take its position after satisfactory completion of investigations.
Regards.
I.Geno.

I thank Mr geno for his reply, however, I still believe urgency is required on this matter and continue to encourage those in agreement with this blog to express their sentiments to the OC and to the national newspapers.