Tag Archives: democracy

Another day, another Supreme Court decision

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By PNG Echo. Minister James Marape has today (Tuesday 9 April 2016) had his appeal dismissed unanimously by a three-man bench of the Supreme Court (Justices Hartshorn, Makail and Sawong). The news was broken on social media and anti-government forces are hailing this latest Supreme Court decision as a David-and-Goliath type victory for the renegade police officers (Damaru and Gitua) with the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance said to have been “trashed” (sic) by the Supreme Court (even with their expensive QCs),. But the truth of the matter is that the decision is on a procedural matter and is Continue reading Another day, another Supreme Court decision→

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Democracy, custom and the Melanesian Way.

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By Susan Merrell This is an article I wrote almost three years ago.  Inspired by a conversation with a learned PNGean, I am republishing – the thesis has not aged although the cast of characters has. Is there a democratic Papua New Guinean nation – or is it merely an arbitrary state built on a shaky, crumbling foundation of disparate traditional customs and the ‘Melanesian Way’? Has the system of government become a hybrid of concepts that fail to work on any level – a bastardization of both democracy and custom? Bernard Narokobi in his book ‘The Melanesian Way’ refused Continue reading Democracy, custom and the Melanesian Way.→

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