POMAT TO BE JAILED IF PARLIAMENT SITS TOMORROW SAYS PNC LAWYER.

By Tiffany Twivey, 16 November 2020 (post from State, Society and Government in Melanesia Facebook page).

Peter O’Neill’s lawyer, Tiffany Twivey Nonggorr has issued this statement regarding the legality of the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Job Pomat recalling Parliament tomorow Tuesday 17 November 2020.

“There is no power in the speaker to recall parliament EXCEPT when he has been requested by the emergency committee during a State of Emergency -section 2(1)(a)(iv) of the organic law on the calling of meetings of parliament.”

Any notification of parliament sitting tomorrow is illegal. Plain and simple. The speaker has no authority to do so under the organic law, the constitution, the standing orders or ANYWHERE else.

Disgraceful.

Even if he did that – he KNOWS that half of the people’s representatives have relied upon the adjournment in parliament by the chair – until 1 December 2020 and have left NCD and will not be able to get back until tomorrow.

For the speaker to try and jump it on tomorrow without proper notice – essentially he is depriving half of the population of Papua New Guinea their representation in parliament.

This goes to the heart of our representative democracy.

This is not only Illegal according to the black letter law – but also according to the whole social contract between the peoples of Papua New Guinea and

the government.

I take this opportunity to remind the speaker that the Supreme Court held in the Polye Reference in 2016 that if the speaker or the clerk actively moved to suppress the democratic rights of the people of PNG they could be liable to imprisonment under the Constitution.

I would advise whoever is advising Mr Pomat to have a good read of that decision. If you don’t have it I can email it to you.

This will not go well for those who seek to suppress the rights of the people Of PNG. I promise you.

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