Polling in Enga has been deferred until tomorrow as more disruptions have hit the Papua New Guinea general election.

The polling was due to go ahead yesterday but grievances being raised by the majority of open and regional candidates in Enga and electoral roll problems have sparked a delay.

Pre-counting in Enga has been disrupted in the provincial capital of Wabag following unfavorable responses to demands presented to the Election Manager Anton Yamau in a petition signed by majority of candidates — all except those loyal to the People’s National Congress (PNC) government led by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

The mock counting should have commenced on Friday in Wabag. However, a protest march — led by the Opposition Leader and incumbent Kandep MP Don Pomb Polye — and demands by the opposition candidates forced a delay.

Opposition MPs said manager “must not hold Enga people in ransom” as he was running the people’s election in a bid to elect “good leaders”.

Loop PNG reports that Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato said Western Highlands faced the same electoral roll issues and would also vote tomorrow.

Voters in Jiwaka continued poilling yesterday and the Southern Highlands also completed voting.

Simbu voters started polling late — at 2pm — yesterday due to a shortage of seals and packing materials.

• ‘Peaceful’ Enga ready to vote
• More PNG election stories

Candidates contesting Papua New Guinea’s Ialibu/Pangia Open Electorate in the Southern Highlands province have accused Prime Minister Peter O’Neill of “rigging” the country’s national elections.

“Today confirmed everyone’s worst fears – these elections were deliberately rigged from the start,” said Stanley Liria, one of the candidates who signed a formal protest letter with election manager David Wakias before polling began in the electorate.

The open electorate is where Prime Minister O’Neill is the incumbent MP.

The rival candidates claimed in their letter the electorate was not ready for polling today.

The candidates are Jerry Kiwai, Nepoleon Rema, Tua Yasa, Stanley Liria, Justus Rapula, Leonard Pangepea and Dr Sam Kari.

At a meeting at Ialibu District Office, they unanimously agreed that certain issues be “properly addressed” before polling started.

Their letter was registered with the manager Wakias.

‘Treating people like dirt’
Candidate Liria said people were fed up with corruption, dictatorship, lying, stealing, and “treating people like dirt”.

He said the people of Ialibu-Pangia were peaceful and hard working, and had the right to choose their new leader through a “fair, transparent and honest” process.

“O’Neill is denying you this constitutional, democratic right,” Liria said.

All candidates, apart from O’Neill, had “through blood, sweat and tears” visited the entire electorate on foot and seen the “disastrous lack of services and conditions” people had to endure, Liria said.

Claiming that polling day had confirmed fears that the elections had been rigged, Liria added on his Facebook page:

“No common roll, politically appointed presiding officers, failure to brief candidates, failure to select impartial political officials, failure to release lists of all polling officials — including 7 wards from Imbonggu within Ialibu-Pangia electorate [and a previously] … undefined ward in the electorate.”

These issues represented grave concerns for the integrity of the Ialibu-Pangia elections, and so the contesting candidates had served notice with manager Wakias.

“We have been robbed, and not only Ialibu-Pangia but all of PNG will suffer like never before.”

• Lae police confirm burning of ballot papers
• More PNG election stories

Papua New Guinea’s Lae Metropolitan Police Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr has confirmed that ballot papers were burnt at the University of Technology (Unitech) polling booth within the campus.

He said the destruction of ballot papers was an offence and any issues relating to shortage of ballot papers or common roll issues would be addressed by the Assistant Returning Officer and Returning Officer of the PNG Electoral Commission.

Two prime suspects have been apprehended by police in Lae while one is still being sought. His identity is known to the police.

The two suspects had got on a 25-seater bus parked outside the campus with a large group of people.

Police monitored them and a Mobile Squad Unit and Sector Patrol Unit intercepted them along the speedway, and then escorted the bus with the occupants to Lae police station.

The two suspects were identified and have been detained for further questioning.

They are from Southern Highlands and Hela provinces, while the third suspect is from Enga province.

Claimed to be students
The suspects claimed to be students while one claimed to be a former student who graduated recently and is now employed by the university. The university administration has not confirmed this.

The 25-seater bus has also been grounded at the Lae police station while the driver and crew are being questioned.

Unitech was given only 1100 ballot papers for a voting population of more than 5000 while the University in Goroka (UOG) voting population of between 4000 to 5000 was denied aa chance to cast a ballot.

UOG was never gazetted as a polling venue even though the Eastern Highlands provincial election manager included it in his recommendation to the Chief Electoral Commissioner.

At the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) at Gerehu, Port Moresby, voting did not take place because of a lack of ballots, Asia Pacific Report’s special campus correspondent reported. Only 1200 ballot papers arrived from the Electoral Commission instead of the expected 5000 and there were many complaints about the absence of names on the rolls of people who had registered.

National Capital District (NCD) Elections Manager Terence Hetinu and his assistant Roslyn Tobogani have been removed and replaced with new officers for today’s polling after both had been caught on Tuesday reportedly in possession of large sums of money and a document signed between Hetinu and a Port Moresby candidate.

Although Electoral Commissioner Patilas Gamato defended his staff, saying the money was for the payment of election officials, Port Moresby police said they would continue a full investigation after the elections and lay charges.

Commissioner Gamato has appointed two senior electoral officials as replacements —  Provincial Election Manager Alwin Jimmy as the new NCD Election Manager, and Kavanamur Bale as Assistant Manager.

Candidates demand removal
Gamato announced the appointments when he met with candidates at Electoral Commission headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.

The candidates in Port Moresby had petitioned Gamato, demanding the removal of Hetinu and  Tobogani after they were detained by police on Tuesday.

While police searched Hetinu’s car, they also found an agreement signed between a Port Moresby Regional Seat candidate and the then NCD Election Manager.

New election manager Jimmy assured the media, Port Moresby candidates, voters in Port Moresby and the people of Papua New Guinea that today’s NCD election would go ahead as scheduled.

Although only one day into his new job, he said he would make sure he delivered a successful polling day for Port Moresby.

He also apologised to the people of Papua New Guinea about what had happened.

Another elections twist
In another elections twist, the Electoral Commission office has reportedly more than K36 million (about NZ$15.4 million) owing to its suppliers from the last general election in 2012. Those suppliers were reportedly not paid.

Gamato said he was aware of the outstanding payments and had put the claims through the government payment system.

In Goroka, polling in rural areas has been delayed because the helicopter company hired to dispatch ballot papers and officials to the designated polling areas wanted payments paid upfront before airlifting the ballot papers and officials to the sites.

Goroka rural voters are still waiting for the ballot papers to arrive for polling while polling in areas with road access have been completed.

Peter S. Kinjap is an Asia Pacific Report contributor.

• ‘We crossed 11 rivers’
• More PNG election stories

Papua New Guinea has entered the third week of the eight-week election campaign before polling commences next month.

Unlike previous elections, this year’s campaign appears not as noisy as in the past.

Social media has played an important role in the campaign so far with political parties buying Facebook pages to launch their awareness messages.

Almost all the 15 political parties in PNG contesting the election now have a paid Facebook Page.

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has reportedly disseminated a lot of information about its polices and continues running social media ads.

One of the PNC’s major party platforms is the Free Education policy. As the ruling party, it has implemented and PNG has felt its impact since 2012.

Like any other government policy, the PNC free education policy has its weaknesses. In order to defend this policy, party leader and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said recently he wanted to make the PNC’s free education policy government policy so that future governments will continue implementing it.

‘Politically suicide’
In what looks like a counter attack, its rival Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party (THE) has issued a “politically suicidal” statement by party leader and Opposition Leader Don Polye saying it would scrap free education instead introduce a “compulsory and subsidised education” as it policy.

Polye went on to say that this policy would be a national policy if THE formed the next government, making it illegal for parents not to send children to school.

Firstly, THE party’s policy would make school compulsory, and secondly parents would need to pay from elementary to grade 12, but not at technical colleges and universities.

THE party wants government to take full responsibility to pay for develop the skills of those in tertiary institutions.

This policy sparked a response from Prime Minister O’Neill condemning the Opposition for developing “reckless policies” that could only set the country back, reverse development and undermine economic growth.

“This is the most reckless Opposition campaign to be seen in elections for a long time,” O’Neill said.

“These Opposition policies would hurt families, would see people miss out on education and have funding decisions taken away from the local level and returned to Waigani bureaucrats.

“How could anyone think that ending free education could be a good thing?

“Under our government, it does not matter if a family is rich or poor, urban or rural, we will make sure all of their children are able to attend school,” O’Neill said.

Some implications
Let us look at some of the implications of THE Party and PNC on their education polices, leaving aside other issues for a while.

Under PNC’s policy, there would be more children going to school because it is free to attend school from elementary to high school and perhaps colleges (some colleges are still paying fees this year at some colleges).

This will see an increase in the grades 8, 10 and 12 dropouts. These dropouts will add to the number of unemployed youths and unskilled laborers. After 10-20 years, there will be an increase in the number of school leavers compared with today.

This is a situation whereby students from well-off families may enroll further in private schools or take further studies abroad but this number is always a minority. PNC’s free education policy creates issues in the long-term but it may look good in a short-term.

THE party’s policy on education will put pressure on poor parents to firstly send their children to school or they be jailed for not sending and to pay their fees in full.

This is a harsh policy by THE party whereby parents would need more counselling on family planning as any child born must be educated by law and they have to meet the cost up to grade 12.

It is tough for parents but in the long-term it will benefit the country largely. Firstly, by concentrating on paying fees for higher education and colleges will ease parents of their financial burden.

Literate population
Secondly, compulsory education would produce a literate population and that is good for a developing country. Today, many young people are not going to school and are roaming the streets — even if it is free to go to school.

But when there is a law to force students to attend school, there will be no children on the street begging as we see today in cities like Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen.

The PNC and THE party’s policies on education have both negative and positive implications.

The term or the phrase “free education policy” is in fact not proper because nothing is free, it would be better to say subsidised fees than to say free education.

Nothing is really free. It is not free to get educated, rather the government is using people’s tax money to subsidise the cost of education.

This confused phrase of free education is a brainchild of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM)  which led two governments under Paias Wingti and Sir Mekere Mourata as Prime Ministers who implemented this policy.

The policy was fully implemented during Sir Mekere’s term as Prime Minister in 2000.

Before the Bougainville war
Before the Bougainville civil war, tertiary education at the universities and colleges was fully subsided (students were also given monthly allowances) when Panguna mine was in operation.

But after the Bougainville conflict there was a new “user pay” policy so all the benefits of allowances and fully subsidised fees for tertiary studies were withdrawn and students had to pay for university and college education.

This means that Don Polye’s education policy will bring back the glory days prior to the Bougainville conflict when PNG enjoyed a fully subsided education at the tertiary level.

All in all, Peter O’Neill’s education policy is short-lived and may put pressure on the government budget to continue funding as the population increases each year.

Don Polye’s policy may look tough from the start but it is not a new policy in PNG to fully subsidise education at the tertiary studies. The new thing will be compulsory for every child in PNG to attend school.

For a country like PNG, we need a good policy on education and Don Polye’s policy will save Papua New Guinea for the years to come.

Peter O’Neill’s short-lived policy might mean Papua New Guinea would face social and unemployment problems and economic problems as the population increases.

Don Polye’s policy will also have an impact to control the population and I think this is a very good proposal for PNG.

It is my personal guess that Polye’s policy is what PNG needs and it speaks of more maturity than O’Neill’s, which lacks sustainability.

You decide which policy you need at the polls.

• PNG Electoral Commission updates

The current Papua New Guinea government is being accused of being the most corrupt in the short history of Papua New Guinea. It has tampered with the national constitution, bent it, or even created new laws to escape being held responsible and avoided passing tougher legislation to fight corruption.

It’s so sad — a sad scenario for Papua New Guinea indeed.

Before going into the 2012 general election, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill promised the nation that he would curb corruption. He set up the Investigation Task Force Sweep (ITFS) which has done an excellent job exposing and prosecuting corruption.

But why did O’Neill disband it? Why did Police Commissioner Garry Baki put a “vetting” on the high-profile investigations cases that include accusations against O’Neill?

At the 2012 Alotau Accord, the governing coalition partners pledged to table in the Parliament the Anti-money Laundering Legislation, Whistleblowers Legislation, Freedom of Information Legislation and Independent Commission against Corruption Act (ICAC).

But during the People’s National Congress (PNC) reign from 2012 to 2017 with its coalition partners, none of these laws have got passed in the Parliament as promised during the election pledges to fight corruption.

Instead, O’Neill sees fit to legislate a Cyber-Crime Law and even proposing amendments to change election dates and nomination fees.

‘Sitting’ on whistleblowers law
Several times the Opposition have blasted the government for “sitting” on the Whistleblowers Protection Act and not tabling it in Parliament.

Even National Court Justice Martin Ipang spoke of the need for the Whistleblowers Act in the courtroom when ruling on Western Governor Ati Wobiro’s case.

Citizens needed to be protected if they have heard about corruption, or if they seen it, or if they become victim of corruption and want to report this.

Papua New Guinea needs the Whistleblowers Act. This is a very important law for PNG together with the ICAC. But the PNC-led government has failed and fooled the nation.

A new government that will be formed after the 2017 elections must see to ensure these laws are enacted.

People would be asking why time and again “most corrupt” politicians are not exposed and brought to justice.

Here is an answer from one politician with his observation. Samuel Basil, a two-term Bulolo MP says: “PNC’s best bet (if they lose government) is to have another veteran MP’s political party to take reign.

“Why? Because it’s like having partners in crime taking control over once again, or simply put it, it is corruption changing hands.

“If they bring their brothers down they will all go down together, it’s like they all have been closely knitted together.”

Only fresh new MPs without any connections with the current and past regimes can clean this country up — there is no other way.

There has to be a “scrubbing” period. Citizens from all walks of life need to face the judiciary to “clear” anything against them.

Your vote in 2017 means, “save PNG, or destroy it”. Over to you.

• PNG government plan to convert SABL leases must be rejected
• Illegal logging: 1316 days and counting
• Transparency PNG chief condemns sacking of 9 whistleblowers

Development or modernisation is no magic potion. There is still unfairness and injustice.

Wealth is still limited to a small handful of people. Most continue to be left behind.

This is a global phenomenon. We see it in Papua New Guinea. Those who felt disempowered in the United States just elected Donald Trump president last month. The disempowered also took Britain out of Europe.

The struggle to find a better life extends from one community to another around the globe. It seems that now, in democracies, people may be exercising the power of numbers.

In Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill thinks developing flyovers, arenas and palatial buildings in Port Moresby will somehow solve the suffering of the majority in every part of our country.

Billions of kina spent on sports and political fame and glory while the majority of communities scattered across the country despair about whether they will ever get even basic services.

Who told Peter O’Neill that it is time to boost PNG as a celebrity nation? Who advised him that massive spending on sports will help economic growth? PNG is not ready to become a celebrity at the expense of a suffering majority.

A huge proportion of taxpayers’ money has been spent in Port Moresby which has less than 10 percent of the total Papua New Guinean population of almost eight million.

Shocking deficiency
There is shortage of medical supplies in public hospitals, a shocking deficiency of good roads and bridges in the provinces and millions of people in rural communities suffer silently because of a lack of required government services.

The O’Neill-Dion government is creating a lot of debt, constraining the future growth of the economy. O’Neill has never expressed sorrow or even understanding about how much pain he is inflicting on the country’s economy.

The suffering has been going on way too long.

We read in the media of a petition from landowners from the land that gave birth to the liquefied natural gas project. They want their payments but the government does not have money.

How can this be possible? And next year is the election on which the government will spend many millions of kina.

The problems are too big for this limited government budget. Yet our leaders want to tell the rest of the world that we are fine and OK to host world events that cost a lot of money.

Something is wrong somewhere. Never believe in development. It brings injustice. Expect the worst.

Columnist Peter S. Kinjap writes a Travel Diary blog on social issues.

Many current Papua New Guinean parliamentarians are highly respected individuals in their own areas – successful in business, education or public service.

With such backgrounds, they routinely attract great respect. This drives their popularity and ability to attract votes when they make known their political aspirations. Voters put their trust in these people.

But when politicians attain public office, their pronouncements, decisions and actions at times may attract criticism and opposition. Politicians must be able to face such scrutiny when they decide to come out of their private life and become public figures.

Many parts of Papua New Guineas have misconceived perceptions of leadership. We mix Melanesian leadership style with Western leadership.

In Melanesia, a leader is one who owns many pigs, marries many wives and contributes greatly to society in terms of wealth-sharing and problem-solving.

With the introduction of the Westminster government system, the perception of leadership was different. PNG’s democratic system provides that any politician or public office holder who is not performing should be able to be questioned by any member of the public.

Recently, many local youths have been led to believe the tribal system or Melanesian perspective should prevail and many lives have been lost in related violence. Injuries have been sustained and homes and families have been destroyed.

Personal attack
This mostly happens when the information on the Western perspective is not disseminated. When we want to raise issues in social media forums (the only medium left for us to openly discuss and express ourselves) some people turn to personal attack or seem to oppose every idea put forward.

To post a question about government services and start debating and creating discussion is not wrong. But in PNG, it seems to be.

Some people think we should respect politicians and not criticise them on social media. Well, I hold the opinion that you can respect them as an individual but as politicians they are answerable to questions by any member of the community.

Holding onto the Melanesian ways of respecting even non-performing public office holders or politicians is totally unacceptable.

Let’s demand what is rightfully ours while still respecting them as private citizens and successful people in their own right.

Let’s know our rights and insist that politicians should act in our interests and then we can accord them our respect.

The more we confuse traditional respect with present day bad behaviour, the more we compromise with corruption.

There is a clear distinction between a Melanesian leadership perception and a Western perception.

The more we confuse ourselves with Melanesian and Western perceptions, the less government services we see in the communities and the more corruption is right in front of us.

Corruption is a real threat to the growth of the nation. It is a double-edged sword that hangs over our head.

Together we must fight against corruption for a better PNG tomorrow.

• Corruption threat to PNG – is the death penalty the answer?

The governor of the Papua New Guinea Western Highlands, Paias Wingti, has called on politicians not to interfere with the Electoral Commission.

He made the call following reports that certain cabinet ministers of the government and members of the parliament had made visits to the Electoral Commission to influence the appointment of returning officers.

The Post Courier, reported that Wingti urged the Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato, to carry out his duties without fear or favour and to conduct the 2017 national election in the most transparent and honest manner.

Gamato in response said there would be no political influence in the electoral process and, or the running of the PNG Electoral Commission.

He also denied claims of ministers and MPs visiting him to appoint returning candidates.

PNG’s Hela Provincial Assembly has voted in Francis Potape as the new Governor for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) rich territory.

The Komo-Magarima MP was elected by nine out of the 13 assembly members. But in the absence of assembly members James Marape, Philip Undialu and two other presidents.

An elated Potape said his priority was to restore unity among leaders and the people in the province.

“Also on my priority list is to restore peace and good order amid the lawlessness in the province as tribal fighting continues to plague the communities,” said Potape.

Koroba Lake Kopiago MP Philip Undialu who was not present at the assembly meeting said, the meeting was illegal, in breach of the leadership code and against the decision of the court.

“As per the recent court orders, a time, date and venue of the meeting was to be announced by the assembly clerk.”

But Undialu said the clerk was in Port Moresby and questioned who gave authorisation for the meeting.

However, Potape stands firm that his election was proper and that Undialu was informed of the meeting but refused to attend.

The University of Papua New Guinea administration’s decision to ban eight students from continuing their studies is illegal, claims lawyer Peter Dumu, a former member of the Students Disciplinary Committee at UPNG.

The students were protest leaders during the recent two months of boycott of classes and demonstrations against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill that climaxed with PNG police opening fire on peaceful protesters on June 8, wounding up to 30 people.

Dumu, who was a UPNG disciplinary committee member in 2013, said the decision was procedurally wrong and unconstitutional for these reasons:

1. Firstly, according to the bylaws of UPNG (Students Disciplinary Committee statute), a student who has breached any laws must be given 7 or 14 days’ notice by the SDC to respond to their charge(s) in writing. The SDC will then call up a meeting to hear the student’s response, which means there must be a quorum to hear students matters. Following the hearing, the SDC would make its ruling or decision to whether suspend or terminate students from studies depending on the nature of the offence.

2. Secondly, students will then be awarded their rights under the regulations to appeal to the Students Disciplinary Appeal Committee.

3. If the appeal committee upholds the decision of the SDC then the aggrieved student(s) will have no option but to go to the National Court for a judicial review after exhausting the administrative procedures.

Lawyer Dumu said: “We all understand crystal clear that the administration of UPNG or the University Council have no power at all under the laws, either with the UPNG Act or SDC statute, to terminate students right away. The harsh decision made by the UPNG administration is ultra-vires and illegal from the start.

“I would say its unconstitutional because their right to be heard (principles of natural justice) was not awarded to them accordingly. Therefore, the UPNG administration should reconsider its decision, and at least go by the book,” he said.

‘Lessons needed’
There are many similar case precedents, he said.

Some lessons needed to be learned by people “advising the administration on legal stuff”.

Student Representative Council vice-president Arthur Amos said in a press conference yesterday that some of the excluded students who had already received their termination letter by hand had written back to the school administration asking it to reconsider their decision and reinstate the students.

Amos said the school showed no sign of allowing any verbal communication between both parties but only through written documentation.

He and a handful of his terminated SRC members have done as requested.

In the meantime, they will await the Council Appeals Committee’s decision after they go through the students appeal.

Classes are scheduled to start on Monday.

• UPNG student leaders banned from studies

The University of Papua New Guinea (UNPG) Administration has permanently excluded all the Student Representative Council (SRC) members and student leaders who led the recent strike against PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in June.

The accused students received letters from the UPNG acting pro-vice-chancellor, professor Mange Matui, which stated they have been de-registered from studies and are no longer UPNG students from 2016 and beyond.

A student leader said they had been given two-weeks to appeal the decision.

Extracts from the letter read: “The University of Papua New Guinea administration has credible evidence that, in your capacity as the SRC member of 2016, you have been involved in the 2016 May to July student unrest and boycott.

“Based on the reports I have received, and after careful considerations of relevant evidences and circumstances, you have breached all laws of Papua New Guinea, including the Criminal Code Act and the Summary Offences Act.

“By virtue of the disciplinary powers bestowed on me by section 7 of the Student Discipline Statute Ch. 169, and acting in accordance with the powers granted under section 5 (3)(b) (i) of the Student Discipline Statute Ch. 169, you are hereby excluded permanently from the University of Papua New Guinea.”

Mammoth task
Meanwhile, the SRC’s lawyer, Laken Lepatu Aigilol, has been sued by UPNG for allegedly aiding the students.

Aigilol said he hopes to challenge the action taken against him when it is heard in court next month on September 13.

“I call upon all the excluded student leaders to provide me copies of your termination letters so that I can look at seeking the court’s mercy and review this decision.

“It would be a mammoth task defending myself and the student leaders,” the lawyer said.

More members of the SRC are expected to receive the letter.

• UPNG students still confused in wake of academic closure
• Students’ lawyer served with contempt charges over UPNG campus unrest

Papua New Guinea’s Hides gas landowners from PDL 1 and 7 have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Papua New Guinea government team, paving the way for a return to “normalcy” at the troubled LNG project.

Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban was present at the signing of the MOU and agreed to honour all the issues in the landowners’ petition and tied them in the time frame. He signed the document.

All the points in the points in the petition were locked in with the MOU and the minister confirmed to take it with him to the national executive council for further action.

The government showed proof of a bank print out of royalty money held in the Bank of the South Pacific (BSP) and Bank of PNG. The government officers flew in yesterday to start the clan vetting process and to open up the bank account for  locals so the payments can be made.

Bank officers and NID officers will fly in next week and complete process within 30 days to pay the royalties to the individual landowners.

The landowners achieved their demands in the petition mission in 13 days.

They have promised to lift their blockade today.

Hides landowners shut down LNG project

Papua New Guinea government representatives have met with landowner leaders of Hides PLD1 and PLD7 natural gas field in Hela province this week with discussions between the two groups said to be “satisfying”.

Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) managing director Augustine Mano, Department of Petroleum and Energy (DPE) acting secretary David Manoh and government interface representative, Ian Maru, met with landowner leaders on Monday.

Main issues
The main issues discussed between the two groups included:

• The 4.27 percent equity share belonging to landowners should be released to them.
•  All payments under agreements and commitments by the government must be paid. As part of this an audit by the government has also been requested. This must show how much money has already been paid to each company and their specific projects, aswell as the total of outstanding payments due to landowners.
• Licensed Based Benefit Sharing Agreement (LBBSA) and Umbrella Benefit Sharing Agreement (UBSA) agreements must be reviewed. These agreements should be reviewed every five-years, but the government has failed to do this and it has now been seven-years since the the last review was made.
• Other projects in the Hela province including the Hides 4 township, water supply, market, electricity, Para Primary School that are mentioned in the LBBSA and UBSA must be delivered.
• Now that Hela is its own province, the gas benefits between Hela and the Southern Highlands should be split.
• The clan vetting process must be finalised and the royalty benefits paid before September this year.
• High impact projects such as the road sealing between Halimbu to Nogoli bridge, and from the Nogoli to Komo bridge, which was committed to by the PM, must be funded.
• Komo airport should be opened for domestic and international flights. This has been approved by the National Executive Council (NEC) but the National Aviation Authority needs to facilitate this decision.
• Hides 4 Special Purpose Authority made a submission through Komo Local Level Government (LLG) and the NEC which must now be granted without political interference.

The government representatives have said they will return later this week to deliver the responses from the the government.

Landowner leaders have responded and said that they will withdraw their protest if answers from the state are favorable.

• Officials fail to resolve issues with PNG LNG landowners, gas flow reduced
• Local PNG leader sets deadline to start LNG negotiations
• Don’t use force to resolve LNG shut down, warns PNG opposition
• Benefits sharing
• Landowners shut down LNG project

The University of Papua New Guinea has served a contempt charge against the Students Representative Council lawyer Laken Lepatu Aigilo over the recent two months of protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

The young lawyer was served with a contempt of court proceedings notice by UPNG’s registrar Jenifer Popat for allegedly “encouraging” the students to go on strike after the court had restrained the UPNG SRC from doing so.

The university has also blamed Aigilo for the UPNG property damages when a building was set ablaze days after after police had opened fire on a peaceful student protest on June 8, wounding more than 20 people.

The contempt application will be made in the National Court tomorrow by the lawyer representing UPNG, Daryl Kamen.

In response to the notice, lawyer Aigilo welcomed the proceedings.

“I welcome the proceedings and if the law finds me guilty, let me serve the prison term,” Aigilo said.

“The UPNG students took bullets for PNG; I can take a prison term or pay a fine for PNG if found guilty,” he added.

Restraining police
Aigilo represented the students in June to seek a court order to restrain police from arresting and harassing student leaders.

He also sought a court order to summon Police Commissioner Gari Baki, NCD/Central Commander Sylvester Kalaut and NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Ben Turi to come to court and explain why they ordered the shooting of students on June 8.

All these orders sought by the students were refused by the court on the June 15.

Justice Derek Hartshorn ruled that police could not be prevented from performing their constitutional function or be stopped by the court from conducting investigations.

Justice Hartshorn also found the balance of convenience did not favour the students, adding they could still sue for damages from the police.

He said the students had rights under the constitution but the interim injunction they were seeking was an interference of the constitutional function of the police force.

• Amnesty International protests over ‘disgraceful shootings’

By Peter S. Kinjap in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea’s LNG petition for Hides PDL1 landowners has been reviewed in a weekend meeting chaired by Mineral Resources Development Company managing director Augustine Mano in Port Moresby.

But there was no positive outcome through this meeting on Saturday and talks will resume tomorrow.

Those present at the meeting were A/Secretary Department Petroleum and Energy David Manau, Community Affairs Manager of Kumul Petroleum Ian Maru and other officials.

Since 2014, the usual maximum LNG flow rate from PNG LNG Marine Terminal in Port Moresby to ships has been reduced from 12,000 cubic meters/h to 6000 m3/h on Friday when loading for the 221st shipment took place.

When asked about this reduction by half of gas exports, the marine supervisors at the terminal said this was because landowners at Hides had closed valves.

Company officials did not comment about this.

Although the company is suffering greatly, say sources, it plans to shift this cut to stakeholders, including the PNG government and landowners.

‘Good response’
It was not reported in mainstream media that valves had been closed, but landowner sources confirmed that Hides PDL1-7 valves had been shutdown until a “good response” was given.

In the meeting, no new items were discussed, just the same issues as discussed in Hides earlier this week with the government delegation led by senior ministers.

In Hides yesterday, a state team visited again in an attempt to reopen the valves while negotiations were taking place in Port Moresby but failed.

• Local PNG leader sets deadline to start LNG negotiations
• Don’t use force to resolve LNG shut down, warns PNG opposition
• Benefits sharing
• Landowners shut down LNG project

Businessman and landowner leader of Hides PDL 1 of the PNG LNG Project, Larry Andagali, has set a deadline for government officials to meet with landowners and address the demands that have led to the lock down of the Project this week.

Andagali called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and senior government ministers to be in Hides Nogoli camp before August, 12, 2016 to start the negotiation process.

He has issued a media release and said Hides landowners will not re-open until the Licensed Based Benefit Sharing Agreement (LBBSA) is reviewed and a new agreement is negotiated and executed.

O’Neill confirmed he is away of the issue and would send a ministerial government team to meet with disgruntled landowners in Hides.

The PNG LNG Project sites were locked down this week with landowners demanding the government pay overdue royalties that are owed to them.

The group have cut down trees to block the roads and stop vehicles from entering into the project site.

Andagali said all Hides wellheads will remain closed until landowners and people of Hela get their fair share of the PNG LNG Project.

‘This time around we are now calling on ExxonMobil as an operator to come as a party on their community investment programs and sponsorship programs for Hides and Hela children,’ he said.

In the meantime he has called on the people of Hides to remain calm and protect the LNG project facilities without using any form of force and weapons.

• Don’t use force to resolve LNG shut down, warns PNG opposition

Opposition leader Don Polye says he was informed about government plans to use the police and army to confront the shut down of the PNG LNG Project in the Hela province.

Polye warned the government not to use security force but to negotiate to resolve the issue.

“The insensitive prime minister, Finance Minister James Marape, Planning Minister Charles Abel and Treasury Minister [Patrick] Pruaitch must not use the disciplined forces to contain the situation.

“Their engagement will not solve any problem. It will exacerbate the situation,” said Polye.

He said the shutdown of the Hide gas plant by angry landowners over the delay in the LNG project related funds reflected the government’s “incompetency”.

“I call on the prime minister and his key economic ministers to deal with landowner issues honestly and justly.

“When I was in government, I handled their grievances with care and prudence.

‘Blind eye’
The shutdown of the LNG Project stems from a demand by prominent businessman and landowner leader of Hides PDL 1, Larry Andagali, who has supported the calls by Hides PDL 7 landowners to end the LNG project indefinitely.

Andagali said PDL 1 landowners would join as well, because he claims the Government has taken more than six-years to kick-start the PNG LNG Project since the signing of the final licence-based benefits sharing agreements on December 7, 2009.

Andagali says the government has turned a “blind eye” on its people through the slow clan vetting and landowner identification process.

He said the provincial government supported a National Executive Council (NEC) approved “beneficiary group” to negotiate and manage the 4.27 percent Kroton equity, which does not represent the PDL1 landowners’ interest.

“ExxonMobil and Oil Search must comply to our call and shut down the project. So far we have been patient and guaranteed 250 loads of LNG cargo, which is in the billions of kina [PNG currency] and to date, landowners have not seen our benefits.

“We do not want confrontation. If this call is not adhered to, then you face the full force of LNG landowners and we are now calling on all landowners from Papa Lea Lea to Juha to join forces,” Andagali further said.

Andagali said social mapping and landowner identification process is the number one procedure any developer should follow under law.

Failed project
Andagali thinks the developers have failed in this project. This process will identify legitimate clans and their leadership is crucial to carrying out the following:

• Develop their future generation’s benefit management trust
• Develop infrastructure development plan to spend K$120 million per annum in Infrastructure Development Grants (IDG-previously called MoA funds)
• Develop proper umbrella company structure to manage 30 percent of its community investment programs from their two percent royalty and two percent free equity benefits
• Develop proper ILG cash distribution processes so that 40 percent cash component of royalty and equity benefits are paid direct into the clan ILGs accounts.
• Raise Kroton equity by 4.27 percent.

Chained lockdown
Meanwhile, angry landowners from Hides area in the Hela province have forced ExxonMobil to shutdown the gas conditioning plant and wellheads in the PDL-17 area.

Sources from ExxonMobil in Komo, in the Hela province, confirmed this after the LNG condensation plant confirmed the shutdown of its six valves along the main 292km pipeline from Hides to Omati landfall.

Landowners issued ExxonMobil to shutdown the control room, but if they do not receive any cooperation, they are prepared to go in and shut the control room themselves.

All entries into the plant site have been chained and locked down and more trees were cut down along the pipeline corridor to stop anyone from entering the sites.

Temporary shelter is erected at the front of the gate entrance into the plant site and wellheads.

The situation is tense at Komo with aggravated landowners minding the gate and gas valves in hides area.

• Benefits of the PNG LNG Project
• PNG landowners shut down the LNG project with no hope to negotiate

Disgruntled landowners of the Papua New Guinea LNG (liquefied natural gas) Project have given notice to ExxonMobil at Hides 04 gas conditioning plant site in Hela province for the government to respond within seven days over payment of outstanding royalties and equity.

Landowner groups claim the government has not paid them for 20 shipments of LNG exports and are awaiting the amount they say is due.

The lapse of seven days without a good response would mean otherwise to shut down the entire LNG operations if nothing is done.

In the meantime, Hides 04 gas conditioning plant main gates have been forcefully locked down by landowners preventing ExxonMobil from its operations.

ExxonMobil are the operators of the PNG LNP Project.

A warning has been directed to ExxonMobil to shut down immediately.

The group have cut down trees to block off the roads and stop the movement of vehicles to the project site.

A chief in Komo in the Hela province, who wants to remain anonymous, said he warned police that they are fully armed and stand ready to confront any security personal that comes around.

They have built a shell house and told ExxonMobil that the gate will not open until the PM arrives with the money they are owed.

By Peter S. Kinjap in Port Moresby

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has directed a police investigation into the killing of a first year student at the University of Technology (Unitech) that happened earlier this year.

Graham Romanong was brutally murdered on June 25, 2016 in his dorm room on the university campus.

O’Neill issued a prime ministerial directive for Police Commissioner Gari Baki’s personal commitment to fully investigate, arrest and prosecute all persons involved in planning, financing and the eventual killing of Romanong.

Made accountable

He assured the deceased’s relatives and a huge crowd on August 1 at Umbimi village, outside Mendi town, Southern Highlands, that all individuals who were involved directly or indirectly would have their day in court.

A crowd of 5,000 people were present when O’Neill announced that those responsible would be made accountable for their acts.

O’Neill thanked Romanong’s relatives, tribesman and the Kambiri people for not taking the law into their hands by seeking revenge.

“When Graham Romanong died you did not take revenge and I thank you for that.

“You acted in a civilised and matured manner and demonstrated leadership in containing what could have exploded into major ethnic conflict resulting in loss of lives and destruction to properties.

“We can’t be like them [killers], because it is a primitive act, barbaric and animalistic behaviour,” the Prime Minister stressed.

At around 10pm on the night Romanong was murdered, a group of men armed with bush knives attacked him; an apparent targeted act.

Tension on campus

Tension amongst the government and university students began earlier this year in May when students began boycotting classes as a protest to demand O’Neill to step down over corruption allegations.

Violence then escalated when police officers opened fire on students while they attempted to hold a peaceful protest march to Parliament.

The universities were closed and it was only announced last week that some institutions would resume the second semester at the end of the month.

However it is not clear whether the protests are related to the attack on Romanong.

Pangu Pati is striving to rebrand its efforts to revive the core values of the oldest political party that stood and fought for political independence in Papua New Guinea.

Leader of Pangu Pati Sam Basil announced the appointment of former PNG Defence Force Commander Jerry Singirok and businessman Bryan Kramer yesterday to take up advisory roles of the party, as reported by PNG Loop.

Singirok has been appointed political adviser on national security and Kramer has been appointed as chief political strategist for the party.

Singirok was commander of the PNG Defence Force during the Sandline mercenary affair in 1997 when he ordered troops to arrest foreign mercenaries hired by the government to deploy against Bougainville rebels.

Singirok and Kramer join policy adviser Dulcie Somare Brash in the party’s think tank.

When welcoming the two advisors, Basil said their involvement and contribution would really bring change to the party and the people of the country.

He said the party’s highly qualified team of advisors would provide the essential technical, security and political support ahead of the national elections next year.

Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s media adviser, Christopher Hawkins, has denied media reports that K3 million was paid to each government member at the “Alotau camp” a week before Friday’s no-confidence vote.

Hawkins said a total of K111 million (NZ$450,000) was supposed to be paid and each MP would receive K1 million each but did not mention the additional K2 million, totalling up to K3 million (NZ$1.36 million} in payments for each district.

Hawkins said the money was not paid to the MPs but to their districts.

It was reported earlier by the public broadcaster NBC News in Port Moresby that documents were signed by Treasury Department for Finance Department to release a payment of K111 million.

Soon after the release of this report, a whistleblower from Treasury Department who wants to remain anonymous, confirming that an additional K2 million was ordered for release following the earlier K1 million for each MP.

The funds were for district development but the timing of the payment was aesthetically wrong due to the no-confidence vote about to be taken. This payment has been denounced by critics as  “bribery”.

• PNG opposition lose no-confidence vote but challenge gagged debate
• District payments flow as PMG prepare for co-confidence vote

The resource rich economies in the Pacific have dwarfed the entire region’s economic performance and slowing its growth, Emma Veve, Director (Pacific) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said today.

Speaking at the opening of the 2016 Pacific Update Conference in Suva, Fiji, Veve said that while Pacific economic performance overall was steady, smaller island nations bucked the trend with tourism but were being dwarfed by resource-driven economies within the region.

ADB Director Edimon Ginting said the environment was still a key to the economy and the people’s wellbeing and tourism was essentially linked to agriculture.

Ginting said this generated income and sustainability. Fiji was a service sector economy with tailoring, tourism and agriculture, he said.

Fiji’s Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Fiji was happy to host the Update Conference. The minister acknowledged the contribution and participation of the University of South Pacific (USP), Australian National University (ANU), ADB Institute and ADB to facilitate the conference.

200 participants
He officiated at the two-day conference at the University of South Pacific’s Laucala Campus with more than 200 academics, policy-makers and development practitioners attending.

Presenters were from Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Island and Vanuatu.

The meeting will continue tomorrow with the following topics to be discussed and debated: labour market development and remittances, sovereign wealth and public trust funds, information and communication technology and health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Students from the University of Papua New Guinea reportedly clashed with Uniforce Security Service guards today, leading to three cars being torched and the Michael Somare Library being stoned.

Several security officers were injured in the clash on the Waigani campus that students blamed on provocation.

The clash was sparked when security officers tried to stop the students having a meeting in front the UPNG Clinic and Toa Hall residence.

The students met to discuss an official apology they were seeking from the university administration on the June 8 incident when police opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.

The Students Representative Council wants the university to cover the medical expenses of the students who were injured during the shooting incident and an immediate investigation separate from the one sanctioned by the government.

After discussing these issues, the students expected to have a reconciliation meeting this afternoon with the university administration and were hoping to return to class next week.

‘Students not to blame’
However, senior Post-Courier journalist Gorethy Kenneth warned fellow PNG journalists on her Facebook page today to write “sensitively” about this clash.

“The incident at UPNG is not protest connected…A group of boys were selling betelnut around the clinic area there… A Uniforce car came in to stop and disperse the sellers who were with some drunkards too and because of this a fight broke out as stones were thrown and this caused [the] setting alight of 2 vehicles parked in the security yard belonging to UPNG staff.”

Police have been called to the campus and the situation is now calm.

There has been unrest at the nation’s universities for six weeks with students calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to resign and face an investigation into corruption allegations.

Meanwhile, University of Technology (Unitech) students are ready to resume classes next Monday.

A student from Unitech said there was a police presence on the campus and most students were ready to resume classes next week.

Gallery of UPNG pictures