The Papua New Guinea opposition MP and former Attorney General, Kerenga Kua, says the Commission of Inquiry into unrest at the nation's universities is likely to be a whitewash.
Students attend a rally at UPNG. Photo: UPNG4PNG
Classes at PNG's three main universities had not been conducted since the beginning of May due to a student boycott and subsequent violence that's left one student dead and several others injured.
The students had demanded the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill step down to face fraud allegations.
Mr Kua said the Commission had not been tasked with investigating the demise of political accountability which caused the student protest.
"In order to understand the actions you need to understand the activities that preceded them in the suppression of accountability in the entire government system. So I'm not satisfied that this Commission of Enquiry will lead anywhere unless you actually look into both sides of the story. Right now it's only directed towards the students and it will be a fait accompli and end up in a whitewash."
Jimmy Drekore and Kerenga Kua (right) show a Simbu crowd the Crocodile Prize 2014 Anthology Photo: Supplied
Kerenga Kua has proposed four additional terms of reference for the commission to investigate including:
- The identification of the underlying reasons for the students unrest.
- The identification of any possible failures by state institutions, instruments, agencies, servants and agents in dealing with any issues identified by the students.
- What action, if any, ought to be taken to correct future reoccurrence of similar failures by the mentioned parties.
- And what action, disciplinary or otherwise, if any, ought to be taken against the parties for any failures.
