Secession

Papua New Guinea

threat

Plans by the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Paias Wingti, to scrap the country’s 19 provincial governments have run into difficulties. The Opposition leader, Sir Michael Somare, has announced that the Opposition will vote against the proposed constitutional change. Until now Sir Michael has supported the Prime Minister on the issue.

The scrapping of provincial government would require the support of two thirds of the members of the PNG parliament.

This seemed likely while Somare was backing Wingti’s attack on the waste and inefficiency of the current system. However, in a surprise announcement on November 11, Somare announced the Opposition Coalition has decided to oppose the abolition of provicial governments because it was being done in haste and without planning. Provincial leaders in the islands have threatened to secede if their governments are scrapped. ***