By Rowan Callick*

THE cyclone season is coming to an end for this year, yet a different type of turmoil is starting to stir the Pacific islands. A digital revolution is running through the region, with myriad mobile towers being erected providing cheap-as-chips, pay-as-you-go calls.

Landowners living on and around the site chosen for Papua New Guinea's first Special Economic Zone, the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone, have announced a three-day public forum to discuss their concerns about the project. Invitations to the event are being sent to among others, Madang Governor, MP James Gau, his predecessor and now Attorney General, MP Arnold Amet, World Bank representative in PNG, Laura Bailey and MP Gabriel Kapris, the Minister for Trade and Industry. 

BY ARTHUR WILLIAMS*

QUITE A FEW DECADES ago PNG started logging for export revenue rather than building homes for its people or making furniture. It was explained at the time that commercial logging would benefit the nation as well as the communities that allowed it on their land.

In the 1980s, Pedi Anis, one time Premier and now entrepreneur and friend of the Asian loggers, told the citizens of Lavongai Island that the only way forward for development was to embrace timber felling (despite knowing it was a very poorly regulated industry).

By Oseah Philemon

THE current National Parliament is the “worst” Papua New Guinea has had in the last 20 years, Lae MP and deputy opposition leader Bart Philemon said yesterday.


Speaking in support of former prime minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, who said the people have lost faith in PNG’s parliamentary democracy, Mr Philemon said parliament has lost its credibility and integrity because the present government has treated it with absolute contempt and disrespect.


By Colin Filer

This is the introduction to a Paper to be presented by Colin Filer at an international conference in the UK starting on April 6. The full paper can be downloaded below

PEOPLE have lost faith in parliamentary democracy because it’s not working as it should be and it’s not keeping the government and bureaucracy accountable, says former Prime Minster and senior statesman Sir Rabbie Namaliu.

I see our democracy, our parliamentary system, as being at the crossroads. The next election will be more critical than any since Independence. I say that because the people of Papua New Guinea, as I read them, have basically lost faith and trust in key aspects of democracy.

By DENI TOKUNAI

I refer to the story about the release of evidence by a terminated whistleblower which implicates executive managers of the Department of Health, as reported in The National (March 28).

There is a dire need for whistleblower protection legislation to be endorsed in Papua New Guinea, which places a mandatory obligation upon public sector organisations to create robust internal procedures to allow for protected disclosures. 

By PETER KORUGL*

An expert team is to probe how five million hectares of customary land were acquired by foreign firms to cut logs under the pretext of developing the land for agriculture and other business activities.


The commitment was made by Lands Minister Lucas Dekena in response to concerns raised by the United Nations, green groups, NGOs and interest groups in PNG over the allocation of land in PNG by the Lands Department under the Special Agriculture and Business leases (SABL).

By ROWAN CALLICK

PAPUA New Guinea's founding father and Prime Minister Michael Somare, aged 75 next month, was found guilty last Monday of 13 charges of misconduct and on Thursday was suspended from office for 14 days. 

Until recently, this would have caused a sensation that would have virtually stopped the nation.