The Office of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says the Ombudsman Appointment Committee will meet in the New Year for the appointment of a new “Chief Ombudsman”.
This comes after concerns were raised by Opposition Leader Don Polye who said the delay was worrying him.
The Prime Minister’s office says the meeting before Christmas was deferred as there was not a quorum.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says the appointment process must be independent of politics and it is “inappropriate’’ that the Opposition Leader continually tries to interfere in this process through the media and “his network’’.
Recently O’Neill told LOOP News that to be fair in making appointments the committee appointed a subcommittee to look into the reasons why Rigo Lua should be reappointed as Chief Ombudsman.
The subcommittee headed by former judge, Justice Greg Lay, had completed its task and the recommendations were before the appointments committee.
The members of the subcommittee include the State Solicitor and the president of the Law Society.
He says the committee is independent so that people don’t draw their own interpretation on whether the right thing was done or not.