The former Opposition Leader and Member for Kandrian- Gloucester, Joseph Lelang has finally made his move to join the ranks of the government, siding with the Pangu Pati and boosting its strength to 58 members. Lelang resigned last week as the leader of the alternate government, stepping into the backbenches of the Opposition when Parliament reconvened on Tuesday this week. Today, flanked by most of the government members at Parliament’s State Function room, and other coalition partners, including West New Britain Governor Sasindran Mutuvel, Lelang was officially welcomed into government by Prime Minister (PM) James Marape and his Deputy, John…
Author: Joshua ARLO
Police Commissioner David Manning commended the residents of Port Moresby for their peaceful demeanour and adherence to democratic processes during this week’s Parliament session. He noted that the behaviour of supporters reflects the leadership displayed by members. Manning said the city has seen unrest in the past during similar situations like vote of no confidence attempts or elections, however, he is pleased to report no significant incidents now. He said police anticipate this tranquillity to persist. He has urged potential troublemakers to refrain from disrupting order, emphasizing the importance of leaders ensuring their supporters uphold the law. He underscored that…
Papua New Guinea’s national sport is rugby; every region is all things rugby – tackle, touch, and union. But this story is not about rugby; it is about cricket – another legacy sport passed on from the colonial period, but only gaining much momentum in recent years as PNG becomes a recognized force to be reckoned with on the international cricket stage. Cricket PNG continues to develop the sport, strategizing crucial pathways to make cricket a national sport; a commitment assured by the competent leadership of CPNG’s CEO Richard Done and his excellent high performance and senior managers, and regional…
The Government has been asked for assistance to help out the 80 percent of students registering at colleges, tertiary and higher education institutions, who come from rural village backgrounds. The question posed by Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin was put to the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Sport, Don Polye yesterday in Parliament during questions without notice. Governor Benjamin said students and the parents are being asked to pay 70 – 75 percent of the fees upfront before registering to attend classes. He said fees now are between K15-20 000, and this is a challenge to parents,…
Excitement and significant changes in parliament today was not lost to the public as a new Opposition Leader took his chair, and the prime minister was put on the spot about employment, and job creation statistics by a former senior government colleague, and his government’s response to the Black Wednesday events. The prime minister was also asked, by Member for Moresby North-East John Kaupa, among other questions, as to the government’s support, if any, to assist businesses, which were looted and burnt down, to be built. In his response, the prime minister failed to address this query, focusing more on…
The backlog of cases within the court system in the country is an on-going issue, and Parliament will again highlight this in the February session, as Parliament is set to resume at 2pm today. In a statement, Prime Minister James Marape indicates further restructuring of the court system, will allow for the National and Supreme Court to expedite the clearance of the backlog of cases. He said the restructure will include a Constitutional Amendment to make this possible. The amendment aims to introduce an Appeals Court between the National Court and the Supreme Court. “This will allow for the establishment…
Over 30 matters are on the list of parliament deliberations, set to be addressed this February session of Parliament. Among the key items highlighted by Prime Minister Marape is the Constitutional Amendment on Court Restructure. Prime Minister James Marape announced this substantial agenda of Government Business, amid widespread discussion on the potential no-confidence vote against his leadership. With parliament set to resume later today, the prime minister assured the public that “we will not be running away from our duties, despite all this talk of a no-confidence vote.” “We have a lot of Government Business to attend to for the…
Police Commissioner David Manning is back at the helm again, and efforts towards ensuring a more professional police constabulary in the country is being renewed and improving. He also supports the Commission of Inquiry into the police constabulary, saying he is in constant dialogue with his Minister and the Prime Minister and welcomes this to improve accountability. On Thursday, in a short press conference at the Police Headquarters at Konedobu in the Nation’s Capital, Commissioner Manning reassured the public of this, following huge riots in Port Moresby and Lae when police held a stop work strike over salary concerns. Businesses…