Parliament adjournment could spark PNG contitutional crisis
Updated
There are fears the adjournment of Papua New Guinea's parliament could create a constitutional crisis for the country. There was uproar yesterday when Sir Michael Somare's government suspended sittings until November. The opposition says the move will prevent parliament from sitting for the required number of days. It's considering a Supreme Court challenge, which some experts fear could result in the dissolution of parliament.
Presenter: Liam Fox, PNG correspondent
Speaker: Sir Julius Chan, opposition leader; Paul Tiensten, parliamentary leader of business; Dr Ray Anere, PNG political academic
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FOX: Papua New Guinea's colourful politics took on a dark tone yesterday.
PARLIAMENT: Those in favour say aye. Aye. Those who are against say no, NO!. The Nays have it, ….
FOX: Opposition MPs thumped their desks and hurled insults across the floor after the government used its numbers to suspend parliament until November. People in the public gallery joined in and some had to be removed by security guards. The opposition says the government is running scared and adjourned to avoid a vote of no confidence. The former prime minister, now opposition MP Sir Julius Chan says the adjournment is also unconstitutional because it means parliament won't be able to sit for the required 63 days in the year.
CHAN: So I think by these actions we should not expect the people on the streets to follow the law anymore. I think by these actions the police should not continue to enforce the law on the streets, because we have violated the biggest law in this land, the constitution.
FOX: But the leader of government business Paul Tiensten says the adjournment is to allow badly needy maintenance work to be carried out on Parliament House.
TIENSTEN: There is no direct relation to the motion. We were not adjourning parliament just so to escape the motion. We know that the motion is afoot and it'll be entertained when we resume.
FOX: The opposition says that's rubbish and it'll refer the matter to the Ombudsman Commission and it's also considering taking action in the Supreme Court. Yesterday's events shocked Dr Ray Anere, who's a senior research fellow at the National Research Institute.
ANERE: I think it sends a very strong and clear message that leaders can change goal posts so to speak to suit them, and it's not good governance at all on the part of the leaders to say to ordinary people the need for Papua New Guineans to abide by the laws and respect the laws, and then they turn around and do something almost in complete contrary.
FOX: Dr Anere is also fearful of the outcome of the opposition's potential challenge in the Supreme Court.
ANERE: If at some stage the sitting day requirement is not fulfilled and the matter is referred to the Supreme Court, then I think Papua New Guinea has got itself into a very dangerous situation. In other countries what we've seen is a dissolution of parliament and a call for fresh elections. So I hope that will not be the case in Papua New Guinea.
FOX: Why could the calling of fresh elections be potentially dangerous?
ANERE: Well because from the point of view of planning, coordination for fresh elections is something that is just you could say beginning in terms of planning for the 2012 elections. So we just hope that this is not a scenario that would come to reality because it would throw Electoral Commission and various other stakeholders into you could say a state of confusion and panic if you will. So I hope that scenario doesn't come to a reality.
