Police Check Assassination Plot Against Somare

Papua New Guinea police are checking reports Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is the target of an assassination plot.

 

“We have reliable intelligence information on that one (Sir Michael’s life is under threat) but like I said, why do we have to go to an extent by imposing threats on our political leaders’ life. It’s uncalled for (and) it’s unheard off in Papua New Guinea anyway, that we adopt those kinds of principles of terror operations. We are aware of it (and) we are doing our own assessments,” PNG police commissioner Gari Baki told reporters yesterday.

The police chief believes the plot is part of a plan by NGOs to march to the national parliament today to demand that Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare step aside, which was called off yesterday afternoon after police met with NGO leaders.

“You can guess where it’s coming from because it is alluded to the mass demonstrations and issues of mass strike – okay, it is emanating from in-between. The source of information comes out to suggest that it is included in that (mass demonstrations). Okay, what I am saying is I don’t want to rule that (assassination plot) out,” he added.

But two NGO leaders who were present at the press conference with Baki denied they plan to burn parliament or create chaos on Port Moresby’s streets during the march.

PNG National Awareness Front’s Noel Anjo and Steven Andambo of PNG Millennium Good Governance said they planned the march with other NGOs because the Somare government was using its superior numbers in parliament to gag debate on controversial issues.

“We’ve found out that there is no Opposition, the Opposition is too weak and they cannot talk big (and) when they talk, they are being suppressed on the floor of parliament. And at the same time student power is also being suppressed, there is no SRC (students’ representative council) functioning (at University of PNG), the student leaders have been moved aside. We have no choice, the only choice we having is we just have to move the people (to protest),” said Andambo.

Police assistant commissioner (public safety) Jim Andres and Port Moresby metropolitan superintendent Fred Yakasa convened an urgent meeting with Andambo and Anjo yesterday morning and convinced them to cancel the planned march. 

Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta last night said the Opposition did not advocate any form of mob rule or street protests as the floor of parliament was the appropriate forum to raise people’s concerns. But he warned police any attempt to gag the people’s freedom of expression could be deemed unconstitutional.

The Somare government will next week table a record K8 billion (US$2.7 billion) budget, the main reason behind the NGO’s decision to defer the march to early next year.

“The petition we are trying to give to the Prime Minister is not over yet, just because we are respecting the budget session, we won’t move to the parliament to petition the Prime Minister,” said Andambo.