Somare hailed as the greatest person

 Prime Minister James Marape has hailed late Sir Michael Somare as a great Papua New Guinean that ever lived.

Mr Marape was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the third anniversary commemoration on the passing of Sir Michael Somare at the University of Papua New Guinea

Under the theme rekindling the dream, the commemorative occasion stressed on building on Somare's dream and construct the nation 

Mr Marape said among many ideals of Somare who held together a very diverse society, he was the keeper of the constitution 

He said if Papua New Guineans love, respect and appreciate the leadership of Somare, the best thing to do is to keep the law

Mr Marape shared his meeting with the late Sir Michael ten days before his passing that they wanted to medivac him to get medical treatment overseas

Late Sir Michael declined the offer saying he had lived his life, a very humble act Marape said 

Mr Marape paused abit obviously emotional because it was Sir Micahel who campaigned for him in Tari during the 2007 election and he got into Parliament

He said the late Somare also groomed him into cabinet and given a ministerial portfolio 

Court dismisses former Simbu Provincial Administrator for judicial review

Former Simbu Provincial Administrator Michael Temai's bid seeking judicial review to reinstate him as administrator was not recognised by the Waigani National Court.

Justice Oagile Dingake this afternoon dismissed his proceeding against the Simbu Provincial Executive, the National Executive Council and others.

Justice Dingake said the aggrieved Temai did not have the legal standing to pursue his case.




Temai filed his judicial review when his contract had already been revoked in June 2022 therefore he did not have standing.

There were preliminary issues raised during trial by the defendants and among them were that Temai filed his judicial review out of time and he should have filed by way of a writ of summons.

Justice Dingake has advised Temai to file his proceeding through a writ of summons.

Temai was appointed as the provincial administrator for a period of four years  and was suspended on May 2021.

His appointment was later revoked about 12 months later.

Temai had primarily filed proceedings arguing  there was unreasonable breach of natural justice.

Nasfund cumbersome processes to withdraw savings

 What was supposed to be a user friendly process to withdraw a members hard earned savings appear to be "unfriendly".

It's a go come process that's consumed precious times.

All was good for me until at the final stage to send my withdrawal in, I was told to go and get a letter of approval from MiBank again.

Just disappointing.

When I asked why? The officer responded they need to know their main bank account for disbursement. 

Hello!

Dei Open seat in the Western Highlands goes for a by election

 The National Court in Waigani

Requirements to open a bank account- MiBank

 MiBank is a growing bank in Papua New Guinea.

In my short observation, mostly grassroots and informal sector citizens are the most popular ones.

It's requirements and process to opening a bank account is very flexible.

Just a one pager form to fill and you need an ID card.

Chuave open seat election petition

 The election petition challenge for the Chuave open seat in the Simbu province will resume in February next year when lawyers will have to address the court on the position of law regarding the passing of a petitioner.

Late Wera Mori (painting)

Petitioner Wera Mori, who is also the former MP had passed on when the election petition has progressed to the middle of it.

The court is placed in an awkward situation and Justice Lawrence Kangwia says the court would have to seek indulgence from the lawyers about this.

He said the organic law is very silent about situations like this when a petitioner passes on while an election petition is on foot.

 Following the lawyers making their applications on law whether the election petition case should proceed, the court will then hear no case submissions from lawyers.

Meanwhile lawyer for the petitioner late Wera Mori has told the court the late Wera Mori has not been laid to rest yet and his family wants the case to come to a finality and Chuave constituents should know who the real winner is.

Late Wera Mori, launching a program 

The petitioner has asked for a recount when challenging the win by Hon James Nomane.

Lawyer for Hon James Nomane has told the court there would be a lot of issues if the election petition is allowed to continue.

Among them, the lawyer cannot proceed without the absence of a petitioner who should provide instructions and counsel cannot manufacture instructions for a client.

Lawyer for Hon James Nomane has also raised issues on costs. They are concerned who would be responsible to pay for legal costs.

There will be 12 witnesses called and the trial was expected to take months.

Hon Nomane’s lawyer said its not simply a walk in the park.

The Electoral Commission lawyer  took similar stance with the incumbent MPs arguments.

The critical issue is if the relief sought by petitioner for a recount and he is successful, who then will enter Parliament when he has passed on.

These issues will be argued before the election petition court after lawyers have addressed the issue on law on what happens if the election petition is in foot and the petitioner dies.

The organic law is quite clear on when an MP passes on but not the petitioner.

 

Kokoda Initiative criticised

 The Kokoda Initiative funded by the Australian Government through DFAT has come under immense criticism for its ineptness to administer and develop the famous Kokoda Trail.

Charlie Lynn, an Australian war veteran and former Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans Affairs has come out through a statement with several criticisms and calling out people to be sacked.

Charlie Lynn 

 

Mr Lynn owns Kokoda Adventure, a tour operator company that manages trekkers who walk the Kokoda Trail.

 

His comments were made after Justice Susan Purdon-Sully of the Waigani National Court ruled in his favour on Thursday December 14, 2023 that the tour operator license for Charlie Lynn’s Kokoda Adventure which was revoked by the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Simo Kilepa should be restored.

 

Justice Purdon Sully has ordered Minister Simo Kilepa and the acting CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA), Julius Wargari ‘to take all steps necessary to restore the Commercial Tour Operator’s License for Adventure Kokoda’.

 

Mr Lynn has now called for the sacking of Kokoda Track Authority CEO, the removal of the DFAT Strategic Advisor from the Kokoda Initiative, the banning of the Australian Kokoda Tour Operators Association (KTOA) from PNG, and the transfer of Kokoda tourism from the PNG Conservation Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA).

 

He has accused the Kokoda Initiative among other things the failure to improve battle sites to enhance the value of the pilgrimage for trekkers, or to assist campsite owners to develop their sites or to even build a single toilet that meets their most basic hygiene needs.

 

“Since they assumed control of the Kokoda Trail in 2009 I have witnessed tourism numbers fall by 46 percent,” Lynn said

 

“This has resulted in a cumulative loss of almost $20 million in foregone wages, campsite fees and local purchases for guides, porters, campsite owners and village communities they are supposed to help.”

 

“They have also failed to make the Trail safe by fixing some of the potential ‘death-traps’ across it or to introduce a single micro-business initiative to assist villagers to earn additional income by providing goods and services to meet the needs of trekkers, or to implement any measures to protect the welfare of their guides and porters,” Lynn said in a statement.

He said PNG must reclaim ownership of the Kokoda Trail from the DFAT funded Kokoda Initiative.

“PNG is now the only country in the world that allows its most popular tourism destination to be managed as an environment product for the benefit of aid-funded government bureaucrats and foreign officials rather than as a tourism enterprise for the economic benefit of traditional landowner communities,” Lynn said.

 

“The Kokoda Trail has the potential to be a World-Class pilgrimage tourism destination which will provide a sustainable economic future for the owners of land sacred to our shared military heritage.”

 

“It should no longer be used as a social-environment experiment for the benefit of aid-funded environmentalists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and foreign officials.”