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PNG Parliament adjourned as hundreds protest against PM O'Neill's handling of corruption allegations
ABC Radio Australia - June 24, 2014
Opposition leader Belden Namah has expressed his anger at the move, saying the opposition was denied the chance to debate the motion to adjourn Parliament today.
"We have a tyrant, we have a dictator," he told reporters at a media conference after the sitting. "I'm calling on public dissent to protest against the leadership of Peter O'Neill as prime minister of Papua New Guinea."
The parliament area was in lockdown as about a thousand protesters defied a police ban to protest against prime minister Peter O'Neill's handling of corruption allegations.
Police yesterday banned the protest, citing concerns over possible violence, but then allowed it to proceed, striking an agreement with police to confine their demonstration to Unagi Oval, one kilometre from parliament.
Protesters wanted a politician to come and receive two petitions: one calling for Mr O'Neill to answer allegations of corruption and the other calling for the reinstatement of sacked senior police officers and Taskforce Sweep head Sam Koim.
The ABC's PNG correspondent Liam Cochrane says at least 12 busloads of students arrived at the oval carrying banners calling on Mr O'Neill to resign. One protester told the ABC he believes this political debacle could have been avoided.
"I think the Prime Minister could have handled it much better by simply turning up at the police headquarters and answering the questions the police had for him," he said. Road blocks were set up around the area, but the protest remained peaceful.
The motion to adjourn until August 26 was passed 74 votes to 5. Mr O'Neill's lawyers will return to court on Wednesday to fight for protection against the arrest warrant against him.
Australia expresses concern
On Tuesday, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop registered Australia's concerns about the political turmoil in Papua New Guinea with the PNG Government.
Corruption allegations against the country's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill have let to high-profile dismissals, including the head of the PNG corruption taskforce, Sam Koim. Julie Bishop is meeting today with Mr Koim in Canberra as he seeks Australia's support.
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott has previously said the turmoil is an internal PNG matter, but Julie Bishop has told Sky News that she'll be reaching out to the PNG Government today.
"I am making contact with the Foreign Minister, Rimbink Pato to register our concerns about what has been happening in PNG over the last few days," she said.
"This kind of political volatility does not assist PNG in advancing the interest of their citizens. It is very dear and close neighbour of Australia and we want to work with PNG to make it a secure and prosperous nation."
In an interview with the ABC's 7.30 program, Mr Koim says Australia should take a greater interest in the case against Mr O'Neill.
In response, Mr O'Neill has criticised Mr Koim for seeking Australia's assistance. He says Mr Koim's comments in Australia have been reckless, damaging and breach his employment conditions at the Justice Department.
Mr O'Neill was issued with an arrest warrant last week after an investigation by the now defunct anti-corruption body, Taskforce Sweep, into alleged multi-million dollar payments to a law firm.
Mr O'Neill has denied the charges, claiming they were politically motivated, and responded by disbanding the anti-corruption body as well as sacking the attorney general and deputy police commissioner.
Enga governor slams police conduct
The governor of PNG's Enga province says the conduct of police against Peter O'Neill is not befitting of the office of prime minister. Enga governor Peter Ipatas says while nobody is above the law, police could have handled the allegations against Mr O'Neill better.
"Already people can conclude that the prime minister has done something wrong and he's criminal in nature and that you know he's unfit to hold office and that is not what we would accord a sitting prime minister," he said.
Corruption allegations against the Prime Minister have led to high profile dismissals, including the head of the PNG corruption taskforce, and the deputy police commissioner. Mr O'Neill says the allegations are politically motivated.
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