Tkatchenko steps aside

THE Prime Minister should have recalled Justin Tkatchenko and sacked him immediately, Sir Julius Chan said last night.
“He should not stand down and wait around for a while until things quieten down and then get back in,” the former prime minister and current New Ireland governor said.
Sir Julius was commenting on Tkatchenko’s action on Friday when he succumbed to mounting pressure and stepped down as foreign affairs minister.
Prime Minister James Marape accepted the decision and took up the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tkatchenko said in his efforts to protect his daughter, Savanah, from public anger over her TikTok video, he directed his ‘primitive animals’ comment at social media trolls.
He said his comments were not “intended for the people of Papua New Guinea”.
Sir Julius added: “What he (Tkatchenko) said is unthinkable. He is out of his mind.
He just can’t say those things.
“The foreign affairs minister is more powerful than the prime minister in the eyes of the world.”
Sir Julius said Marape should have sacked him or asked for his resignation.
“There are a lot of Papua New Guineans around. He is not the only one,” Sir Julius said.
Not satisfied with having his ministerial head, there are other representations, by way of letters, to the Ombudsman Commission to investigate possible breaches of the Leadership Code by Tkatchenko’s inclusion of his daughter on the official delegation and certain official duties she undertook while in England. A law firm has taken carriage of that.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Defence, Belden Namah said he is asking the chief migration Officer to probe Savannah’s citizenship status and what possible breaches of the Immigrations and Citizenship Service Act Tkatchenko’s racial slur might invoke.
Sir Julius parting shot was that “no person with dual citizenship ought to be allowed to hold public office in Papua New Guinea.”
It is uncertain whether or not Tkatchenko hold dual citizenship.
“All dual citizens should be prevented from standing for public offices. You can’t ride two horses,” Sir Julius said.
On Friday, Tkatchenko admitted he made the mistake of publicly commenting on user comments, from Papua New Guinean commenters on the short TikTok video posted by Savannah showing the classy treatment on the way to the King’s coronation.
Tkatchenko said his comments were made out of frustration and anger in response for comments that were “disgusting behaviour, that were sexual and violent comments, all sorts of comments that you would never want your daughter or women in general to go through”.
Marape told a media conference yesterday: “This sort of incidents happened, the minister stepped aside on his own free will, some don’t step aside they keep staying.
“I know there are pressures out there in society.
“We did have conversations with him.
“We live in a democratic country, I’ve advised all leaders in my ranks that conduct of family and our leadership is under scrutiny all the time.”