Community Coalition Against Corruption calls for greater action
Having observed so many things transpiring in the country concerning apparent failures in the governing, judicial and democratic processes in PNG, the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) convened a meeting in Port Moresby today (Tuesday 15th July) to facilitate and gauge the views of its members.
Forty one (41) participants representing 26 corporate, non-government organisations and unions that are members of the CCAC attended the meeting to discuss and look for options that could be used to act on behalf of members of civil society.
Generic issues of good governance discussed during the meeting included integrity of the government system, checks and balances in the process, lack of action and accountability by responsible authorities and the reactive actions by the government without dialogue and consultation.
Included in the discussions were the Moti affair, the Taiwan cash for diplomacy scandal, the on and off finance inquiry, the alleged US$40million account in the name of a PNG Minister, the district Services K10million Grant and the proposed increment to the salaries of parliamentarians.
Members of the CCAC as concerned citizens’ said they would hold a public forum in the next few weeks to discuss things in greater detail. They observed that the Ombudsman Commission had not made many referrals to the prosecutor this year and that some referrals had been before the courts for a number of years.
The CCAC wants to see these matters resolved as soon as possible so the guilty are punished and the innocent go free. They no longer want to stand back and continue to witness as things unfold before them, stating that they would pool resources together to ensure most of what has happened is brought to light in the following months.
Participants at the meeting said members of civil society had observed many things were not happening within the government, the judiciary and constitutional offices and there were unwarranted delays which were affecting the basic systems of government.
They said it always seemed to the people that the law was for the leaders to do whatever they pleased and get away with it while the impact of their misdeeds was being felt by the small people in the form of poor and break down of health, education and other services.
Members of the CCAC were adamant that they has seen and heard enough and would not stand back and watch more of their children, women and members of civil society suffer while a privileged few got richer.
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