A five men Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika will deliver their ruling today on whether the Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa has legal standing to bring the Supreme Court application relating to the Vote of No-Confidence motion. The Opposition Leader, along with Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, SineSine Yongumugl MP Kerenga Kua, and several other Opposition members including Alternate Prime Minister nominee Rainbo Paita were in court to hear the outcome of Thursday’s hearing. After the judges sat down, Greg Sheppard, senior counsel for Mr Tomuriesa, told the court that an objection to competency had been…
Author: Joshua ARLO
The country’s Opposition side has filed a Supreme Court application to question the CONNECT PNG program, a flagstone of the Marape government. Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa, who filed the case, said the Alternative Government seeks the high court’s interpretation over ‘certain issues’, specifically the laws relating to public spending, and about several millions of funds allocated to this program the last few years. “As the Leader of the Opposition, I have filed a Section 18 Supreme Court Reference seeking the Court’s interpretation over certain issues with the Connect PNG Program that the government is handling,” Mr. Tomuriesa explained. “We have…
A combined total of K37.5 million in financial aid has been contributed towards providing relief support for an estimated total of 155 villages in Western Province affected by severe floods along the Fly River. According to Western Governor Taboi Awi Yoto those affected involve around 20,000 people displaced by the flooding, and they immediately need fresh drinking water, food, temporary shelter, and medical assistance. The aid relief for the affected communities lie along the Fly River following a flood disaster that has caused major displacement of people in various districts of the province, include K10 million from the National Government,…
The National Executive Council has re-appointed Mr Jerry Garry for a second term as the Managing Director for the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA). On Thursday, June 20th, Mr Garry signed his new four-year contract of employment at the Government House at Konedobu in Port Moresby. Mr Garry first served in this capacity from 2019 to 2022. Since 2022 he has been serving as the Acting MD until his re-appointment early this year by NEC. Mr Garry said his re-appointment and the signing of his contract, paves the way for MRA to focus on its key priorities in the mining sector,…
The Buka Rugby Union’s Komuniti Rugby 7s and mini 7s circuit will take a break this weekend. This is according to Coordinator Kelly Havara, who said the tournament, which kicked off last weekend in Hangan village, will pause to allow teams to recoup and restock. The second leg of the tournament will resume next weekend, June 28-30, at Hangan village, home of former Pukpuks 7s captain Hubert Tseraha. Havara emphasized that this break is part of the eight-weekend schedule, aiming to make the tournament more inclusive as it visits selected constituencies in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. He said it…
On Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, the 30th Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Ministerial Forum took place in Port Moresby. The forum focused on enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation through the Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership (CSEP). Discussions covered pillars like strong democracies, regional partnerships, and strategic cooperation for security and stability. Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatcheno said important topics included bilateral security agreements, defense cooperation, economic growth initiatives, and Australia’s efforts to build strategic trust with Pacific Island countries. “Pillar 2 of the Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership is focused on strengthening ties with our neighbors and global partners.” “I acknowledge…
Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae has commended census officers throughout the country for doing their best in carrying out the census exercise in the 2024 National Population Census. The Census roll-out program started on Monday June 17th, and will end on June 30th. Sir Bob acknowledged that it is not an easy exercise considering the distances they have to walk for hours to reach villages in remote areas of the country to count people, such as for his own village in Kabwum district, Morobe province. He expressed his gratitude for census workers when he was counted at Government House…
The 30th PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum held at APEC Haus in Port Moresby yesterday (Wednesday, June 19th) has underscored the deepening ties and multifaceted cooperation between Papua New Guinea and Australia. Co-chaired by PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong, the forum brought together senior ministers from both nations, including their Deputy Prime Ministers. The discussions focused on fortifying the comprehensive strategic and economic partnership, aiming to enhance cooperation across various sectors. Minister Tkatchenko expressed gratitude to the Australian delegation, highlighting the importance of their collaborative efforts. “Our meeting today (Wednesday) focused on pillars of…
The 30th PNG-AUSTRALIA Ministerial Forum today will have dialogues on the two nation’s bilateral security agreements, including visa issues. Forum co-chairs, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong highlighted this when giving their introductory greetings before the actual bilateral meeting this afternoon. Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, and Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Pila Niningi. In his remarks, Minister Tkatchenko said: “We will look at and assess the bilateral security agreement and how that’s progressing for the benefit of our bi-lateral partners as well.” In response, Minister…
Opposition Leader, Douglas Tomuriesa is confident that the high court will rule in his favor, allowing his Supreme Court case to proceed to substantive issues. Tumuriesa stated this at the courthouse in Waigani on Tuesday, June 18, after his case was further adjourned to Thursday, June 27th. Outside the courtroom, Tomuriesa, accompanied by Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane, Menyamya MP Solan Loifa, Ijivitari MP David Arore, North Fly MP James Donald, and Middle Fly MP Maso Hewabi, expressed their commitment to the legal battle. He was referring to whether the Supreme Court will find he has legal standing to bring…