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- Tree - 12-14-2011
Think this brush fire will fueled by our buddies at Bronte and Tilson? Looks like a coup to the outside world.
**********
Papua New Guinea in crisis with two PMs, two police chiefs
By Online Editor
10:00 am GMT+12, 14/12/2011, Papua New Guinea
Peter O’Neill and his supporters on their way to government house
Papua New Guinea plunged into a constitutional crisis yesterday as Peter O'Neill, rejecting a Supreme Court ruling that removed him as prime minister, occupied the government benches in parliament and broke though a police barricade at the Governor-General's residence.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said PNG had entered uncharted waters since Monday's Supreme Court split ruling that reinstated Michael Somare and prompted armed police to stand guard at the vice-regal residence in Port Moresby.
About 60 MPs loyal to O'Neill stormed past the police at the gates of Government House yesterday and insisted on a meeting with Governor-General Michael Ogio.
“We are unarmed and we're the legitimate government,” they chanted according to the ABC.
Standing at the gates of Government House, O'Neill declared: “As parliament speaks today, I am the prime minister of the country, and Somare is trying to hijack it with some hooligan policemen.”
Some of the police guarding Government House are loyal to Sir Michael. One of his first acts when the court ordered he return to government was to reinstate former police commissioner Fred Yakasa and oust O'Neill's appointee Tom Kulunga.
O'Neill said Ogio had met with him briefly yesterday and said he had agreed to meet Sir Michael, the founding father of PNG, today.
“I cannot discuss the details of that meeting because he has to afford the same level of courtesy to the grand chief,” O'Neill said.
“He will meet with the grand chief tomorrow. He will then write to both of us and express his decision on the best way to move forward.”
Shots were fired outside Government House on Monday night, and yesterday O'Neill's treasurer Don Polye urged the MPs to be peaceful amid a heavily armed police presence.
“We must sit. There is no need for shooting. I urge you all to sit down and be peaceful,” Polye said.
Sir Michael is understood to be at the popular Ela Beach Hotel in Port Moresby, where he has set up cabinet made up mostly of ministers from his previous government. Sir Michael's daughter Betha told the news agency Agence-France Presse that her father had made it to Government House and been sworn in, although this could not be confirmed elsewhere.
“The PM has already gone into Government House and he's already signed off on the instruments recognising Sir Michael as prime minister,” she said.
But she added that his ministers had been prevented from joining him after O'Neill and dozens of his MPs blockaded the building. “What's happening at the gates of Government House is that the government, or the rogues that were ousted, have blocked off the Government House gates,” she said. “So the people that are supposed to be sworn in cannot be sworn in.”
Ogio was seeking legal advice yesterday, including from private lawyers, before deciding which claimant to swear in.
Sir Michael Ogio - appointed Governor-General this year when Sir Michael was unquestionably the prime minister - swore in O'Neill at the August 2 parliamentary sitting that elected him after Speaker Jeffery Nape ruled that the top office was vacant.
At that stage, Sir Michael - who has run the country for almost half of its 36 years of independence - had been away in Singapore for four months undergoing medical treatment.
The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Salamo Injia ruled by 3-2 on Monday that the prime ministership was not vacant, since Sir Michael had neither resigned nor been ruled medically unfit to govern.
Sir Michael, 75, yesterday denied his health would prevent him from returning to office. “My doctor in Singapore believes that my health is as good as any. I'm well enough to be a 40 year old again,” he told the ABC.
Sir Michael's claim to the prime ministership rests with the 3-2 ruling. O'Neill's claim rests with his re-election yesterday by parliament, 69-0, following the judgment.
Nape said during the emergency parliament sitting that he would only recognise the government of O'Neill, whose MPs refused to vacate the government's side of the chamber. Adding to the chaos yesterday, the rivals pushed ahead with appointments, leaving the country with two cabinets and two police chiefs.
The police, divided between O'Neill's commissioner, Kulunga, and Sir Michael's new appointment, Yakasa, were playing a key role in choosing which group could gain access to key institutions of state and, most importantly, to the Governor-General. The armed police outside the Governor-General's residence were loyal to Sir Michael, the ABC reported.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd told ABC radio from New York he was “deeply concerned”about the situation in the former Australian mandate.
“Obviously there are heightened political intentions within Port Moresby with two, as it were, alternative prime ministers. This is unknown terrain in Papua New Guinea,” Rudd said.
“But we of course have been urging calm on the part of all parties. The PNG Defence Force has been directed to remain within barracks.
“We have a very, very protracted political dispute between a number of politicians in Port Moresby.
“We therefore have a responsibility to support a peaceful resolution to this dispute - violence would help nobody - and that's what we intend to do while at the same time fully respecting Papua New Guinea's sovereignty.
“We therefore will be watching these developments very closely and using quiet diplomacy with all parties. Our immediate concern is simply to await the deliberations of the Governor-General.”
Australians in Papua New Guinea have been warned to stay away from crowded areas, particularly near the court and government buildings.
- maui4marko - 12-14-2011
Reminds me of my years in NW Montana, where frontier justice was the rule of the land. Comes normal to these guys.
Not sure if it will stick, But Malum is reporting in the last few minutes:
Breaking news: Sir Michael Somare is now Prime Minister The Sir Michael Somare Cabinet has just been sworn in at Government House by Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is now being driven off to Morauta Haus, Waiagni, followed by his ministers. A press conference is expected to be held at Morauta Haus.
More to come.
Posted by Malum Nalu at 12/14/2011 10:13:00 AM
- Palm - 12-14-2011
Just saw that Maui. Interesting but now O'Neill should step aside. If he wants to be PM it's time to start putting together his campaign. Anything he does now to assume the PM spot will be considered a coup attempt and that would be dumb. Elections are only a little less than 6 months away. He'd be way behind schedule if he were running here!
- maui4marko - 12-14-2011
Just now from Malum Nalu via FB:
The Peter O'Neill majority faction has just passed a motion requiring Governor General, Michael Ogio, to attend Parliament to swear in O'Neill as Prime Minster.
Like · · 19 minutes ago ·
- Libtardius Maximus - 12-14-2011
Apperances indicate the people want O'Neill, that's why he's not going quietly. He strikes me as a man that is larger than politics, hence, he's not giving up easily.
- petrengr1 - 12-15-2011
http://www.pngblogs.com/
- Bincbanker - 12-15-2011
The Governer General is the one (only one) that can solve this , he is empowered to do so as representative of the Queen (I don't mean Tree )
- sltibbs - 12-15-2011
I hope for the people of PNG that O'Neill is quickly put in as the PM, since has the people's support and he appears to support the people. For IOC, I don't think it matters much, but there will be some delay.
Best,
Sam
P.S. Thanks STP for setting this forum up.
- admin - 12-15-2011
Hello Sam, you being here is already enough compensation for the effort
O'Neill certainly has the backing of parliament, whether he has the backing of a large part of the people I don't know. His party was pretty small in the last election, I belief. Difficult to assess, but as long as there is no blood in the streets (God forbid), some functioning government will emerge.
- TomCrooz - 12-15-2011
If I were Oneil or someone advising him, I might consider coming out with a statement such as " I love this country and hate to see this state of affairs and for the betterment of the country, I will step aside and wait for the people to speak in the upcoming elections just 6 short months away. Sir Michael has served the country for such a long time that I will concede to him the dignity of serving out his term. This I will do for the harmony and love of this country." Politically, I think this would be a home run. IMO