PNG MP wants Aussie diplomat recalled

2 Aug 2012, 8:25 pm   -   Source: AAP
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has been asked to apologise for 'interfering' with PNG's sovereignty. (AAP)

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has been asked to apologise for 'interfering' with PNG's sovereignty. (AAP)

The man trying to stop Peter O'Neill from becoming PNG's next prime minister has demanded Australian's top diplomat be recalled for 'breaching protocol'.

The man vying against the odds to be Papua New Guinea's next kingmaker says Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish should be recalled after he attended a state ceremony where Peter O'Neill was invited to form the next government.

Former deputy prime minister Belden Namah says Mr Kemish violated PNG's sovereignty by attending Wednesday's ceremony.

Mr Kemish was quoted in The National newspaper as saying of Mr O'Neill, "If there is anyone who can take it that far (five years), it is him," a comment the Australian High Commission has denied he made.

"Kemish's presence is a breach of protocol," Mr Namah said on his party website on Thursday.

"I call on the Australian Foreign Minister (Bob Carr) to apologise and to discipline the high commissioner.

"He should be recalled immediately, because he interfered with PNG's sovereignty, by deliberately trying to influence the election and the process of parliament electing the prime minister."

The Australian High Commission said the attendance of Mr Kemish and deputy High Commissioner Margaret Adamson followed assurances from Government House and the PNG electoral commission.

"Australia naturally has an interest in the process given its enormous logistical support for the elections," the commission said.

"The High Commissioner has made no public or other comments about either the quality of the elections, or who should be elected as prime minister of Papua New Guinea.

"We agree completely that these are matters for Papua New Guineans, not Australians. Australia looks forward to working with whichever government Papua New Guineans elect."

Australia provided transport for about 2700 PNG defence force and police personnel to remote locations around the country before and during the election.

Mr Namah's supporters launched legal action on Thursday to stop parliament sitting on Friday morning, when it is expected Mr O'Neill will be elected prime minister by about 75 of the 106 MPs declared so far following the 2012 poll.

The other five MPs of PNG's 111-member parliament won't be able to attend because their writs have yet to be returned.

Lawyers for Mr Namah's party deputy, Sam Basil, say that's reason enough to stop the session.

A judgment is expected at 8.30am on Friday.

Mr Namah took out a newspaper ad on Wednesday asking MPs to support him and his reportedly 12 supporters and offering up the position he has publicly coveted, the prime ministership.

Mr O'Neill, meanwhile, arrived in Port Moresby from Alotau in the nation's south with his group of parliamentary supporters, some of whom wore t-shirts with "team Alotau" written on them.

Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the controversial parliamentary vote that saw Sir Michael Somare dumped as prime minister and replaced by Mr O'Neill, with Mr Namah as his deputy prime minister.

That move sparked a constitutional court battle, which in turn sparked a crisis when the court ruled Sir Michael be returned to office despite not having the parliamentary numbers.

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