With more than 100 emails sent from the ACT NOW! community to the Chief Ombudsman, calling for action on the undemocratic and unconstitutional adjournment of Parliament, PNG's Opposition parties have announced they have officially referred Parliament Speaker, Jeffrey Nape, to the Ombudsman Commission.
The referral was reported in the media1 shortly after the 100th email was sent from the ACT NOW! website.
Each of the 100 emails has been copied to key Members of Parliament from both sides of politics so they have seen the breadth of community feeling on this issue and read the heartfelt personal comments added by many people.
The action by the Opposition means that Ombudsman is now legally required to inquire into the issue of the adjournment and decide if a formal investigation is warranted.
This is an important step forward and it sends a big signal to the PNG government that its actions are being watched and that the community is able to mobilize and act.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the email action - but remember we need to ensure this issue stay's at the top of the Chief Ombudsman's in-tray.
So, if you have not yet sent your email, please ACT NOW!
www.actnowpng.org/tell-chief-ombudsman-we-want-our-democracy-back
We also believe the Ombudsman investigation should include the role played by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House in the adjournment and we will be watching to see their role is included in the inquiry.
Your ACT NOW! team