Get Out of My Way!

The sacking of PNGSDP Chairman, Sir Mekere Morauta, is but just one of a number of decisions where the government, using its parliament majority and legislative privileges, ward off any opposing person. While it is claimed that their action is to protect the interest of the people, or stabilize the government, the manner and motif surrounding these decisions cannot go unquestioned.

In 2012, when the Supreme Court ruled against the O'Neil-Namah government, the Judicial Conduct Act was immediately passed. The Act can be interpreted as one that elevates the Legislative arm above the Judiciary, giving the former powers to discipline the later, disregarding their constitutional equality (click this link for detailed explanation). Furthermore, the Act nullified the Supreme Court decision that reinstated Sir Michael as the legitimate PM.
The agenda: nullify the Supreme court decision so the O'Neil-Namah government can reman in power.

Governor General Sir Michael Ogio, honoring the Supreme Court decision, swore in the Somare-Abel government, only to be told by parliament that he has been suspended.
The agenda: remove the Governor General and replace him with someone who is in support of the O'Neil-Namah government as legitimate. In this case, speaker Jeffery Nape replacing the GG, swore in O'Neil as PM.

Parliament then amended the Prime Minister and NEC Act, which set an age limit for any serving Prime Minister to 73. Since Sir Michael was 76, this effectively means that he can no longer become a prime minister again.
The agenda: prevent Sir. Michael, a huge threat to the O'Neil government, from becoming Prime Minister.

Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen, when adamant to issue the writs on time (which the O'Neil-Namah government didn't like), faced a threat of being suspended. His appointment was investigated and his retirement age was questioned.
The agenda: since Trawen is not supportive of the governments decisions, find a reason to suspend him to remove the obstacle.

In all these government decisions, a common factor stands out: parliament (especially NEC) used its powers and numbers to ward off any impasse such that the progress favors their agendas. These becomes more clear with the fact that the concerned amendments were repealed late last year. In tabling the repeal, Attorney-General Kerenga Kua said the Judicial Conduct Act and the Supreme Court Act of 2012 had outlived their use. So were these Acts used just to ensure that O'Neil stayed in power?

O'Neill says that his coalition government repealed these controversial laws to correct the wrongs of the recent past. So these concerned laws were wrong, and O'Neil sanctioned them anyway?

I see a government that can use its majority parliamentary numbers and their legislative powers to clear any opposition to their course or agenda: a government that passes Acts overnight to nullify any court decisions against them: one that suspends anyone who is not in the boat with them: one that ward off opposition to their decisions using their powers rather than an around-the-table discussions.

Well, the people have spoken . But the voice doesn't sound like the people's voice.

Tiger Malaria

Tiger Malaria. This was the name circulated in the public when Papua New Guinea experienced an outbreak of an unknown malaria-like illness from late 2012 and continuing into 2013. It was later discovered that the fever was caused by a virus. To date, no one knows how, when and who coined that term but it is believed that it stemmed from the tiger-like stripes found on the mosquitoes that transmit the virus.

I travelled down to Lae early this year and spent a night with a family at Hunta. That was where I first heard the description of Tiger Malaria. The mother described how the illness started with her first, then jumped on to his youngest son after a few days and within two weeks, the whole family of six had stories to tell about how they came down with Tiger Malaria.

Medically known as Chikungunya Fever, Tiger Malaria is a rarely fatal illness caused by the mosquito-transmitted Chikungunya virus. The family name of the virus is Togaviridae and since the virus's discovery in 1953, outbreaks of the fever has been reported in Asia, parts of Africa, Islands in the Indian Ocean and Australia. The yellow fevegfr mosquito (Aedes aegypti) which bites during the day, and the Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) are the main vectors identified.

The public's description, affirmed clinically, was that of an illness that resembles malaria, but one that cripples the whole family, usually not simultaneously but one after another. A sudden onset of crippling joint ache and fever were described. Temperatures can go up to as high as 40 degree Celsius. Unlike malaria, chills and shivering were not described. Several patients reported red rashes on the abdomen and other sites,  and a lot of people reported nausea in the absence of diarrhea or abdominal aches. Test for malarial parasites were always negative unless there is co-existing plasmodium infection.

Severe debilitating joint aches of acute onset (some can ambulated only with the help of crutches), high fever without chills or rigors, nausea without any digestive tract problems and occasionally scattered rashes, are symptoms that stand out to distinguish Tiger Malaria from the common malaria (plasmodium malaria).

The public devised their own home remedies. Some exposed themselves to repeated hot herbal steaming that their faces turned dark and even burnt...epidermis slowly sloughs off during recovery.

No antiviral treatments or vaccines is currently available. Simple symptomatic treatment, fluids and adequate rest is usually all that is needed to tame the tiger. Fortunately, the disease is self-limiting (heals by itself) and seldom fatal. Panadol or paracetamol is effective in reducing both pain and fever and other complicated, rumor-based or assumptive treatment methods (like steam baths) should be done so with caution or better, not employed at all. Measures to prevent mosquito bites is vital in preventing the spread of Chikungunya fever.

                                  

The map above shows the regions or countries where Chikungunya fever has been reported. The next updated map will see PNG shaded in green.