Amid uncertainty and a court battle over the University of Goroka’s vice-chancellor seat, Higher Education Minister Wesley Raminai surprised staff and students by leading the university’s interim council members onto the campus to be “sworn in”.

The usually quiet study-friendly Humilaveka campus atmosphere was disrupted by a chanting group of Huli wigmen until the delegation arrived about noon, reports The National.

The majority of staff and students, gripped by confusion, were not present to provide a traditional university reception.

Only a handful of senior staff members received the delegation.

Raminai led them to the Mark Solon Auditorium board room.

The members were sworn in by Goroka District Court Senior Magistrate Josephine Nindue.

They were Joe Wemin (chairman), Dr Goru Hane Nou, Takale Tuna, Johnson Kent, Nelson Auwo, Rose Koyama, John Sari, Steven Nujuitu, Robin Guebianbazzynu, Wayne Joseph and Lavert Ganimo.

Raminai congratulated the interim council members, describing the council as balanced with members from all regions of Papua New Guinea.

Police serve court order
The new council members were then ushered out of the campus to a luncheon when police served a National Court order on Raminai, Wemin and acting vice-chancellor Dr Teng Waninga.

The order dismissed a motion Dr Waninga had filed in court to restrain chancellor Dr Joseph Sukwianomb and vice-chancellor Professor Musawe Sinebare and their agents from interfering with Waninga’s management of the unversity.

Dr Sukwianomb is a former vice-chancellor of the University of Papua New Guinea and a onetime manager of the Prime Minister’s Department.

Lawyers Hebert Wally and Tony Waisi for Sukwianomb and Sinebare advised that the order had weakened Dr Waninga and Wemin’s position at the university with any activity following the service being deemed legally “in contempt”.

Late last month, the Chief Justice, Sir Gibbs Salika, had ordered the minister not to interfere with the university leadership.

The service of the document was received and acknowledged by Raminai, Wemin and Dr Waninga through their lawyers.

However, Raminai then allowed Wemin to chair his first council meeting as “chancellor”.

Wemin appointed as the disputed officers Dr Waninga as vice-chancellor, Dr Steven Potek (pro-vice chancellor policy and planning), Dr Mathew Landu (pro-vice chancellor academic, research and innovation), Naomi Kouse (registrar) and Jim Mek (bursar).

The appointments were for a short term of six months.

Republished with permission from The National.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The struggle to decide Samoa’s government is headed back to court, as both main political parties continue to stand firm on their beliefs following a Supreme Court ruling dismissing a call for a second election.

The Supreme Court yesterday threw out the Head of State’s move toward a second election to break a post-election stand-off where neither major party had formed a majority.

A move by the Electoral Commission to add an appointed women’s seat, awarded to the incumbent Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), was also thrown out.

In a brief televised statement following the ruling, the leader of the Faatuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, called on the Clerk of Parliament to convene a sitting of the House so members can be sworn in and a new government formed under her leadership – “as the Prime Minister elect” – to carry out the business of governing.

Fiame said that the rule of law had prevailed.

“We now have answers to our cries for relief, the Supreme Court has now pronounced the law. We must now obey and act in accordance with the law,” she said.

Fiame also called on all public servants, including all heads of ministries and government organisations, to carry out their duties “independently and impartially”.

HRPP remains in power
Caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said his government would remain in power and carry on the business of governing until all election related matters before the courts were dealt with.

Caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi versus leader of the FAST party Fiame Naomi Mata’afa … 75 petition cases mean power struggle will drag on in courts. Image: Tipi Autagavaia/RNZ Pacific

In a televised broadcast on Monday evening, Tuilaepa told the country there would be an appeal against the Supreme Court’s ruling against the decisions taken by the Head of State and the Electoral Commissioner.

Tuilaepa, head of the HRPP, said the verdict on the decision to invoke the additional women’s seat in the House had not dealt with the main issue at hand.

“For these reasons, these decisions will be appealed,” he said.

The unanimous verdict reached by a panel of justices of the Supreme Court on Monday now gives the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party the majority to form Government with 26 seats to their rivals, the Human Rights Protection Party’s 25. https://t.co/N8GenKD48a

— FAST_Party (@fastparty_ws) May 17, 2021

According to Tuilaepa, 28 election petitions were filed after the elections as well as 28 counter suits, and all needed to be dealt with by the courts.

He also revealed 19 more cases had been filed last Friday by HRPP against the FAST party.

“That is 75 cases, and these include criminal charges against their leaders,” he said.

Petitions go ahead
Tuilaepa said the election petitions would go ahead, and there would be many by-elections called in the weeks to come.

He pointed out that would drag the process further, but that his government had offered the best way forward by accepting the Head of State’s call for fresh elections.

He also revealed that HRPP lawyers had offered to drop all election petitions and head to new elections, but that had been rejected by FAST lawyers.

“So we will now continue with these cases,” he said.

It is not clear when the petitions will start to be heard in the Supreme Court, but Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese two weeks ago told lawyers handling the cases to prepare for the hearings.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz