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Urgent report wanted on ABG request
CABINET has directed officials to prepare
an urgent report on the implications of the request from the Autonomous
Bougainville Government (ABG) for early transfer of responsibility for
the functions of mining, oil and gas to the ABG.
Bougainville leaders had pushed for these powers to be transferred to
them by last Dec 31 but this did not eventuate because it was felt the
ABG had to meet its side of the bargain.
Cabinet made this decision after a briefing by the Minister for Health
and Bougainville Affairs Minister Sir Peter Barter.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare
directed the Central Agencies Coordination Committee to set up a core
working-group to advise the Government on issues raised by requests by
the ABG for the transfer of functions and powers.
He said the Government and the ABG had 12 months to meet and develop an
agreed plan to ensure that the resources and capacity required for the
proper exercise of a function or power were in place, when a transfer
occurs.
Parlt to make or break Hela
THE Hela people’s dream of a separate
province is among a number of bills before Parliament.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare will today present a bill to amend the
Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government elections.
He will also present a proposed law to alter the provisions of the
Constitution relating to provincial electorates.
Minister for Inter Government Relations Sam Abal will present a proposed
law to alter the Organic Law on Provincial Boundaries by amending the
description of boundaries of certain provinces and prescribing the
boundaries of new provinces, and for related purposes.
The bills are notices numbered 336, 337 and 338 on the notice paper.
Three Members of Parliament from Hela – Koroba Kopiago MP John Kekeno,
Tari Pori MP Tom Tomiape, Komo Magarima MP Balus Libe – and Hela Gimbu
Association chairman Damien Arabagali have appealed to all the Members
of Parliament to support the bill.
The leaders said in a joint statement yesterday that the call for a
separate Hela province was 32 years old and older than PNG.
Vele urged to respect
Constitution
OPPOSITION leader Peter
O’Neill yesterday urged the Member for NCD Wari Vele to respect the
Constitution and wait until the law is rectified so he could operate
within the legal framework, in particular, the Public Finance Management
Act.
Mr O’Neill said NCDC’s main focus should be to provide services for the
ratepayers of NCD and to bring new development projects to improve the
image of the city.
He warned that the City Hall would continue to be bullied by the ruling
party in Government and thugs in the future if priority was not given in
reorganising NCDC from its present arrangement to that of an elected
government.
Mr O’Neill said the present arrangements under the current NCDC Act were
too loose, prone to abuse and manipulation by governments and the
various ethnic groups in NCD.
He said that whatever system was devised and finally agreed for NCDC, it
must be in line with the Organic Law that governs provincial government
to ensure uniformity and to prevent ‘easy’ changes in terms of amending
the laws to suit the desires of the government of the ruling political
party in power.
If the new amended NCDC Act of 2006 infringes on other laws including
the Constitution as pointed out by Ombudsman Commission, then the
Government must re-amend the NCDC Amendment Act of 2006 to make the law
legal and proper, Mr O’Neill said.
Bonga to contest Nawaeb
seat
EDA Ranu executive
chairman Timothy Bonga will contest the Nawaeb Open seat in the coming
national elections.
Mr Bonga, a close associate of the Prime Minister, who has not resigned
his post at Eda Ranu, said Nawaeb electorate had suffered neglect in the
past 15 years.
“We need to ensure that basic Government services such as better road
systems, health and education are delivered to the people,” Mr Bonga
said.
 
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