Tag Archives: Moses Maladina

It’s vote-of-no-confidence time again.

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By PNG Echo. Papua New Guinea is, once again, finding itself looking through one of those windows of opportunity whereby the government can be defeated and removed on the floor of parliament by a vote of no confidence. This window is smaller this year because of legislation that increased the grace period from 18 to 30 months. It will be back to normal next year, the legislation having been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. But why is it expected that because it could happen that it should? What’s more, why do people expect an attempted vote of no confidence Continue reading It’s vote-of-no-confidence time again.→

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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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