Belden Namah

Namah said Marape is not displaying leadership qualities but contradicting himself regarding the P’nyang Project.

He said this has also been seen with the Papua LNG Gas Agreement.

In a media conference today, the Opposition Leader said after negotiations failed between the State and ExxonMobil for a Gas Agreement on P’nyang, the Prime Minister announced that they will focus on other projects.

Vanimo MP and Opposition Leader Belden Namah made this announcement in front of a capacity crowd at the Independence Oval in the heart of Vanimo town on Wednesday.

Namah clarified that the National Government will be paying the other portion of school fees as stipulated in the 2020 budget.

“My challenge to you parents now is to work hard and provide good school uniforms and other necessary needs to make learning conducive for the children,” he urged in the presence of teachers and headmasters from all the schools in the district, as well as parents.

He said PNG should be using its own resources to send the troops over, and not the other way around.

The question was raised after the Australian army used its C130 aircraft to fly PNG troops over.

“From what we know, the cost to Australia to send two Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft to pick up our personnel and to return them in three months is just under one million kina,” he stated.

The reference filed was in question and opinion of Belden Namah’s appointment as Opposition leader and removal of former Opposition Leader, Patrick Pruaitch.

On the 16^th of December 2019, Acting Attorney General, Kerenga Kua, filed a reference against Belden Namah in question to his position as Opposition leader.

The reference was an authority under Section 19 (3) (1) of the Constitution for an opinion and questions relating to the interpretation or application of constitutional laws.

Namah made this statement at the recent Parliament sitting, where he questioned the Prime Minister on what the Government is doing about the West Papua unrest.

Namah highlighted that the Tami River at Wutung, Sandaun Province, and Torasi in Western Province serve as a natural demarcation between the PNG and Indonesian border. On the other hand, his electorate of Vanimo-Green, Telefomin and North Fly in Western Province serve as buffer zones in that they separate hostile forces.

Hence the Opposition Leader raised his concern on the floor of Parliament.

Namah criticised the Prime Minister’s ‘Marape Manifesto’ which he says will lead the country into destruction.

The Opposition Leader said it is more than 100 days since James Marape had taken office, yet there is not a policy or strategy being offered.

Namah said instead, the Prime Minister announced a ‘Manifesto’ on Independence Day, which was released to the public on September 13^th.

He is seeking an interpretation over the legality of James Marape’s election as Prime Minister on 30^th May, 2019.

Namah announced in a media conference that the hearing date has been set for October 7^th after the Application was filed on September 23^rd.

This follows the grant of leave today for Namah's lawyers to file judicial review in the National Court.

Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dinake granted leave to Namah to apply for Judicial Review against the decision of the Leadership Tribunal that was delivered on April 9.

The court will review the decision of the Leadership Tribunal, in particular, the tribunal's failure to give Namah an opportunity to address the tribunal on penalties after he was found guilty of nine counts of misconduct in office.

This is the judicial review case which Namah filed seeking leave of the court to judicially review the process in which he was found guilty by the Leadership Tribunal and recommended for dismissal.

Arguments of the leave application were heard on May 30 by Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dinake and a decision reserved.  

During submission on May 30, Namah’s lawyer, while seeking leave, put to court that the tribunal members fell into a constitutional error in not following due process in the appointment of the tribunal.

Namah said this following the recommendation by the Leadership Tribunal on Monday for his dismissal.

The outspoken leader said he has been singled out following the events of the political impasse and will challenge the tribunal’s decision.

In a media conference this afternoon, Namah said from the outset that as a leader he is bound by the laws of the land and accepts any error of judgement on his part.

However he said the tribunal’s ruling on a single count was harsh and oppressive and he will challenge it.