PNG MPs want emergency declared in Moresby

25 May 2012, 8:05 pm   -   Source: AAP

The PNG government has voted for a state of emergency in Port Moresby after rogue police blockaded parliament.

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Papua New Guinea MPs have voted to declare a state of emergency in the nation's capital after rogue police officers surrounded Parliament House.

If adopted, the emergency rule would give increased powers to PNG's police commissioner to arrest and detain.

Leader of government business Moses Maladina put the motion on Friday at a special sitting of parliament and it is expected to come into force on Saturday.

The government also voted to reject the decision of three Supreme Court judges to reinstall Sir Michael Somare as the nation's leader.

Prime Minster Peter O'Neill said cabinet would meet on Friday night to prepare advice for Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio, who must approve the state of emergency.

The state of emergency would be extended to trouble spots such as the Southern Highlands and Hela province, site of a multi-billion-dollar liquefied natural gas project, Mr O'Neill said.

"This has never happened in our country since the Sandline crisis of 1996," Mr O'Neill told reporters, referring to the splinter group of police who surrounded Parliament House on Friday.

(The Sandline affair brought down the government of Sir Julius Chan after he used private military contractors to resolve the Bougainville dispute.)

"These actions are of a criminal nature.

"I want to stress here that we will do all our best so that we do not infringe on the rights of citizens. The movement of Papua New Guineans must be free and fair, so there will be no obstruction by the police in enforcing that (state of) emergency."

A group of about 30 police officers blockaded the road to Parliament House with rocks on Friday and told AAP they were refusing to let Mr O'Neill's government hold a special sitting of parliament until after the June poll.

The government say the men were loyal to Fred Yakasa, the man appointed police commissioner by Sir Michael Somare in December when the Supreme court first ruled he should be reinstated as the PM.

The men cleared out after speaking with Assistant Police Commissioner Francis Tokura.

"The last thing we wanted was to see bloodshed among our own men," Mr Tokura said.

"We are very grateful we were able to sort it without bloodshed.

In what is becoming almost standard practice in Port Moresby, the unexpected blockade briefly flashed white hot when more than 40 heavily armed police set up a staging area around the corner from the splinter group.

After about 20 minutes, however, an officer was heard to shout "saddle up, we're out of here" before the armed officers left in a convoy of 15 cars.

About 30 minutes later, the roadblock outside parliament was lifted.

The incident was sparked after police, led by Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, on Thursday arrested and charged the nation's chief justice, Sir Salamo Injia, with sedition.

At a brief committal hearing in court on Friday, Sir Salamo sat silent as the charges against him were read out.

Magistrate Cosmos Bidar charged that Sir Salamo and another judge, Nicholas Kirriwom, conspired "to conduct a seditious enterprise against the state".

Sir Salamo was one of the three judges who on Monday ruled that ousted leader Sir Michael Somare was the nation's legitimate prime minister and not Mr O'Neill, who was elected PM by a parliamentary majority last year.

Mr O'Neill's government alleges the court is biased and is trying to interfere with the upcoming June elections.

Last week, an email exchange between Sir Salamo and Justice Kirriwom allegedly referred to the O'Neill government as "illegal".

The emails were sent in February, while the pair were conducting hearings into the government's legitimacy.

Hearing of the case against Sir Salamo was adjourned to July 25.

The AFP agency reported that Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma has called on PNG to respect the rule of law and the judiciary's independence, in the wake of the political upheaval.

"The rule of law, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and constitutional, democratic governance are core Commonwealth values, which must be preserved in Papua New Guinea," Sharma said in a statement.

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