Pacha elected
HONIARA, SOLOMON STAR – Sacked Solomon Islands Mining Minister and Member of Parliament for South Guadalcanal David Dei Pacha is the new Deputy Speaker of Solomon Islands Parliament.
Mr Pacha was elected unopposed to the post when Parliament resumed on Monday.
Mr Pacha and the Member of Parliament for East Fataleka Steve Abana were the two nominees for the position but the latter withdrew his candidacy prior to the resumption of Parliament.
Men’s club
PORT MORESBY, AAP – As Papua New Guinea’s Parliament returns to being a men’s club, criticisms have emerged that Australian-sponsored training of female candidates was too little too late.
PNG’s recent national election saw it join the ranks of Yemen, Qatar, Micronesia, and Vanuatu as the only countries in the world without female MPs.
Previously, three of the parliament’s 111 seats were held by women.
New government
NOUMEA, RNZI – Political parties in New Caledonia have until Friday night to submit their candidates for the next collegial government.
The administration fell on Saturday when the budget minister Philippe Dunoyer resigned in favour of taking up the seat he had won in the French National Assembly.
A single resignation requires Congress to elect a new government representing the parties in proportion to their strength in Congress.
PORT MORESBY, POST COURIER – Papua New Guinea Members of Parliament have been told of spies operating within foreign missions in Papua New Guinea.
And leaders have been urged to protect PNG’s national interest, especially when negotiating deals, treaties or doing business with other countries or international organisations.
Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary William Dihm was addressing the MPs at the induction programme in parliament last week. He did not specifically name the foreign missions, as MPs geared up for the tenth parliament which starts today in Port Moresby.
