PNG Parliament Sitting Adjourns as Speakers Goes back to Court

The court ordered parliament sitting this morning was chaotic with insults, threats and words exploded out from both sides of the house. 

The shouting and heated exchanges resulted from when Speaker Job Pomat sought parliament leave to have the sitting adjourned while he sought clarification from the Supreme Court if Kerowagi MP Bari Palme is qualified to be in parliament. 

The Speaker of Parliament will be seeking further clarity from the Supreme Court in regards to an insolvency case regarding Member for Kerowaghi Bari Palma.

Palma was declared insolvent, or bankrupt, by the Waigani National Court on June 1 2017 after failing to pay legal costs from 2012 General Elections.

However, 20 days after that decision, the Supreme Court stayed his status pending the outcome of his appeal and ordered the PNG Electoral Commission to allow him to contest the election.

The issue that the Speaker of Parliament is trying to resolve now is whether by being declared insolvent,  means Palma is disqualified a member of parliament.

Opposition Leader, Beldan Namah, in his point of order, told the speaker he was misleading Parliament and that he has a new court order with him, that was served to Parliament Clerk to give to Speaker announcing the solvency status of Mr Palma's case.

After a long and heated exchange Speaker Pomat adjourns parliament sitting to Wednesday the 16th of December –

Last week the Supreme Court ordered that the reconvening of Parliament by Mr. Pomat and subsequent handing down of 2021 national budget as 'unconstitutional.'

FM100/ONE PNG

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