O'Neill assures Papua New Guineans of scheduled election
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill assures Papua New Guineans his government will stick to poll schedule.
Parliament-elected Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has assured Papua New Guineans that the 2012 general election will go ahead as scheduled.
Speaking at a joint press conference in the PNG capital Port Moresby after a meeting today with representatives of the PNG Trade Union Congress (PNGTUC), PNG Employers Federation (PNGEF), private sector, churches, non-government organisations and civil society, the PM said the decision to allow polling to proceed was taken by the government caucus.
“As I have said all along and will continue to maintain, the electoral commissioner is responsible for conducting the national general election. He has set the dates and we will go to the polls as scheduled. The writs will be issued on May 18 and returned on July 27. Polling will be on June 26. Government caucus met recently and agreed to go to the elections as scheduled. I assure all Papua New Guineans and our international partners that this government stands ready to deliver a free and fair election,” said Mr O’Neill.
The decision will be a relief for Papua New Guineans, who see the general election as the only solution to the ongoing tussle for government legitimacy between Mr O’Neill and rival Supreme Court-reinstated PM Sir Michael Somare.
While Mr O’Neill has indicated that the government caucus has ticked off on the Electoral Commission-set polling dates, it is not known if his coalition partner PNG Party is part of that government caucus. The PNG Party is led by his controversial deputy Belden Namah, who has been vocal on the general election being deferred for six months and is of the view that the motion passed by parliament to defer polling remains in force. The DPM has received the backing of PNG's controversial parliament speaker Jeffrey Nape, who has not hesitated to add to the debate and appears oblivious to the risk of bringing the chair into disrepute.
(L-R) Deputy PM Belden Namah who has the support of the PNG parliament speaker Jeffrey Nape.
Mr O’Neill did make reference to the differing opinion on the election schedule within his coalition government at the press conference, saying: “Let me explain that the motion in parliament to differ elections for six months was an expression of frustration by members of parliament at the Electoral Commission’s failure to have the common roll updates ready on time. Parliament has no power to determine election dates”.
The Morauta Haus meeting was called to avoid a planned nationwide stop work and forced shutdown of essential services by the affiliates of the PNGTUC, PNGEF, private sector, churches, NGOs and civil society, that would have forced the O’Neill government to stick to the Electoral Commission-sanctioned timetable and to repeal the recently enacted Judicial Conduct Act and amendments to the Supreme Court Act.
The task to overturn the two contentious legislations has now been left to the new government, according to Mr O’Neill and was also before the Supreme Court and consequently was not in operation.
“These laws that we passed were seized by the courts and have injunctions over them. The laws are not in operation. Therefore, the new government that comes in after the elections can take this matter up. Our concern now is to go to the elections and allow the people to choose leaders whom they believe will represent them well in Parliament.”
PNGTUC president Michael Malabag and TIPNG board member Richard Kassman thanked Mr O’Neill for clearing the air on the general election. PNGEF executive director Florence Willie and the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Ron Seddon said they will advise their members that it is business as usual from tomorrow and schools can reopen, after union members including PNGTUC affiliates assured Mr O’Neill that essential services will not be cut.