The Leader for Opposition Don Polye today said there needed to be a competent and open inquiry into the recent unrest, citizens’ rights and police reaction.
Polye made this statement during a media conference at Parliament, adding that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s new Commission of Inquiry into the student unrest and police reaction would be expensive, biased and unproductive.
He says in the last sitting of Parliament, the Opposition tried to discuss the students’ unrest as a matter of urgent public interest and wanted Parliament to establish a Select Committee to research and report on the student unrest. He added that citizens’ rights and police actions should also be investigated, adding that the terms of reference and membership of the Select Committee should be open and include both the Government and Opposition Members of Parliament.
“O’Neill did not want an open discussion and closed the Parliament sitting quickly.”
Polye says O’Neill has established a new Commission of Inquiry by a decision of the NEC and that Terms of Reference are public but NEC’s discussions are not to be made public and that people have no direct report on how NEC decisions are made.
“That Commission of Inquiry as appointed by O’Neill needs to be made balanced and open Enquiry,” he says.
Polye has asked the Prime Minister and NEC to review their decision on appointing retired judge Warwick Andrew to chair another Commission of Inquiry as he alleged that Andrew failed to table a report on the Inquiry relating to Government payments to lawyers in 2014.
Polye says he will bring this issue to Parliament where Government and Opposition MPs will create an open enquiry into issues affecting the wellbeing of the people of Papua New Guinea.