NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan criticised Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday for using Parliament privilege to accuse him of killing 20,000 Bougainvilleans.
“He used Parliament privilege to make that statement. I have not killed one Bougainvillean. The guy is mad, he is crazy,” Sir Julius told a press conference.
On Wednesday, in response to calls by him and Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta to step stand down and allow the recommendations of the Moti report to proceed, Sir Michael said there was no necessity for him to do so.
He said he had not committed any crime unlike Sir Julius who “gave orders for Sandline to come and killed 20,000 people in Bougainville”.
He described it as an “atrocity” and “murder” and that was why Sir Julius stepped down.
Sir Julius said, however, that in March 1997, Sir Michael had asked him to step aside to allow the Sandline Inquiry to proceed and he did.
“If Somare is in the right, then he should not be afraid to step aside. He should practise what he preaches,” Sir Julius said.
Deputy Opposition leader Bart Philemon claimed that Sir Michael was using the coalition’s strength to say and do anything in Parliament.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop said he was fed up with “Aussie bashing” and urged leaders not to use nationalism to cover up their own agenda.
He dismissed claims that Opposition Members were agents of the Australians or neocolonialism.

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