Police will not allow public demonstration against Justine Tkatchenko

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika says police operations in the city will be on heightened alert from today Wednesday  onwards after  rumours of a planned protest march began circulating on social media.

Waigani Drive in Port Moresby this morning

Sika said police would not allow a public demonstration against Moresby South MP Justine Tkatchenko at the time when Pacific leaders were coming into the country for their summit.

Tkatchenko announced stepping aside from his role as Foreign Affairs Minister last Friday in Port Moresby. 

There were mounting pressure for him to resign coming from citizens politicians and various groups like the Catholic Professionals Association.

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi were also arriving at the end of this week and with Tkatchenko stepping aside, Prime Minister James Marape is assuming his role temporarily.

Billboard in Port Moresby welcoming India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and regional leaders

 Sika said any disturbances by a minority group in NCD would be a major embarrassment to the international community.

The Metropolitan Superintendent said they received a letter from a group calling themselves the Coalition of Concerned Citizens delivered to his office on Tuesday, requesting police to grant approval for the planned protest march.

 "The organisers of this event are using social media to persuade city residents to form up at the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance Institute in Waigani tomorrow (Wednesday)," he said in a statement. 

 "They intend to walk from there to parliament house."

 He has declined the request  because the world's attention is now on PNG.

"We also took into consideration the social impact on the community, " Sika said.

"The business community may suffer losses, and children's education may be disrupted by this event."

He said  people aggrieved by comments made by Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko can take their grievances to court and seek redress or write and petition the government without a public assembly.

Last week several citizens protested along Waigani drive over discriminative comments by MP Justine Tkatchenko. 

Sika said police will continue to work closely with the communities in maintaining peace and good order across the city.