Agiru backs ECP
The National, Monday 13th May 2013
HELA Governor Anderson Agiru yesterday commended the prime ministers of Australia and PNG for moving to reintroduce a component of the Enhanced Cooperation Programme (ECP) in PNG.
Agiru said PNG needed all the support it could get to fight rampant law and order problems throughout the country and assistance with capacity-building in all facets of government and if it was forthcoming from Australia, it should be embraced.
The two prime ministers indicated during Julia Gillard’s visit last week that a component of the ECP would be revived but not in its original format.
No document has been initiated and no time table agreed on as to when it might be revived.
Agiru, who is also the leader of the People’s United Assembly (PUA) party, said the party had met and resolved to support the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s decision.
He said if no other provinces wanted Australian assistance, he would push for all to be moved to Hela and Western.
Western Governor Ati Wobiro is a member of PUA.
Agiru said the previous ECP arrangement was rushed and ruled unconstitutional in parts by the Supreme Court.
“This time we must ensure that any new agreement is within the requirements of the laws of both countries,” he said.
“And we in PNG must embrace and welcome this support from a friend which has been supporting Papua New Guinea since long before independence.
“If nobody will receive the Australian assistance this time, the People’s United Assembly has agreed to invite the government to send as many Australian personnel as possible to Hela and to Western provinces,” Agiru said.
“We have security, capacity-building and training and mentoring issues which require all the help we can get.
“In Western, Governor Ati Wobiro requires, in addition to support for crime-fighting, training and capacity-building in the administration, huge assistance in surveillance of the border with Indonesia and with Australia.
“Australian assistance will be utilised to resolve its own border issues to do with drugs, arms and people-trafficking.”