constitution proposals

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Papua New Guinea

Cabinet approves constitution proposals

THE Papua New Guinea cabinet has approved the contro versial constitutional reform proposals aimed at provincial and local government systems, the National reported last month.

Sources told the newspaper the reforms, submitted by the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), were approved on August 15 “with some changes”.

Prime Minister Paias Wingti was expected to announce the reform proposals soon. The approval gives CRC chairman Ben Micah the go-ahead to introduce a new Bill in the September sitting of parliament to replace the Organic Faw on Provincial Governments. The new Bill, to be called the Organic Faw on Provincial Assemblies and Local Level Governments, will replace the original Bill which was heavily criticised by various sectors of the community including the New Guinea Islands Premiers Council and led to threats of secession. ★ ★ ★

Floods hit

50,000 RAGING flood waters have destroyed the homes and food gardens of more than 50,000 people in the Wau and Bulolo areas of Papua New Guinea’s Morobe province and parts of Central province, the National reported last month. National director of emergency services Leith Anderson said in Central province alone, more than 20 villages near Kwikila and nearby areas were under water. Anderson said they did not have funds to provide assistance to the victims. ★ ★ ★

Chan on

Bougainville crisis

DEPUTY prime minister Sir Julius Chan says the Bougainville crisis cannot be resolved by military force alone. In a statement last month, Chan said there was still hope for a South Pacific peacekeeping forrce and reaffirmed the government’s “commit ment to resolution of the Bougainville crisis through negotiation for peace settlement”.