29 Jul 2004

PNG government criticised over committee membership changes

11:53 am on 29 July 2004

Opposition-aligned MPs have accused the Papua New Guinea government of breaching the Constitution in filling at least two key Parliamentary Committees with its own members.

Pangu Pati leader and one of the MPs replaced in the powerful Public Accounts Committee, Chris Haiveta, says the government will go to any length to stay in power.

He says proof of this is the government's move to replace all Opposition-aligned MPs with its own members in the PAC.

Mr Haiveta says the National Constitution states in principle that membership of parliamentary committees must be spread out as wide as possible between the Government and the Opposition.

He says the government is flaunting the Constitution by leaning the committee's membership to one side of the House.

Meanwhile, former PAC deputy chairman Kimson Kare, who was also sacked from the committee, has separately criticised the Government move, describing it as "suspicious".