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SoE in limbo
By ISAAC NICHOLAS
INTER-Government Relations Minister Sam
Abal has slammed Members of Parliament as “full of talk but no action”
after Parliament failed to meet yesterday to extend the State of
Emergency (SoE) in the Southern Highlands province.
The SoE has dominated Parliament this week since sitting resumed, but on
Tuesday and Wednesday, the Government failed to muster the simple
majority required (55) to pass the vote to extend the SoE, even with the
support of the Opposition.
Yesterday, Parliament was forced to adjourn due to lack of quorum after
only 30 MPs turned up. This meant the SoE lapsed last night, and the
government of Hami Yawari may have to be reinstated.
Cabinet was meeting all evening yesterday to discuss what action to take
to continue the suspension and the SoE.
At the time of going to press, no announcement was made by the Prime
Minister or NEC officials.
The failure is a major embarrassment for the Government, which has been
fully supported by the Opposition in this endeavour.
When Parliament was forced to adjourn, only 30 MPs including the Prime
Minister and a handful of his ministers and about 5 MPs from the
Opposition had turned up.
Opposition leader Peter O’Neill came into the chamber late after deputy
speaker Bob Dadae had adjourned Parliament.
Mr Yawari was believed to have lobbied for MPs not to support the
extension as the SoE had achieved little in the province and demanded
that the National Government reinstate his government.
In an interview after Parliament adjourned, Mr Abal said he would go
back to cabinet for a decision to ensure the SoE continued and
Parliament would be asked to ratify that decision.
“It’s the conviction that the Government is not finished with Southern
Highlands and would ensure that there was continuity in what we have
started in the province.”
The minister said the SoE security forces would not move until they get
the orders from the National Government.
“The forces will await the command of the Executive Government and no
such order has been given and their presence on the ground has to be
corrected legally and the Government would take measures to do that.
There was no order for them to withdraw.”
He said under the law when Parliament does not extend SoE, automatically
there is a nine-month period under Section 187 (f) of the Constitution
that allows for the suspension of the provincial government to continue.
He said only the Executive Government or NEC can stop the suspension.
But Mr Yawari is adamant that after midnight his government should be
reinstated and troops withdrawn with administrator William Powi returned
to Waigani.
 
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