PNG oppositon again pushes for no-confidence vote

3:36 pm on 17 June 2016
A view of the government benches in Papua New Guinea's parliament.

A view of the government benches in Papua New Guinea's parliament. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades

Papua New Guinea's opposition has submitted a Supreme Court application for Parliament to reconvene before the end of July to allow a no-confidence motion to be debated.

The motion was due to be heard last Wednesday, but Parliament was adjourned until August after police opened fire on students who tried to march to parliament in support of it.

But August is within a 12-month grace period before a general election where motions of no confidence cannot be submitted.

The opposition leader, Don Polye, says he is happy the Supreme Court has accepted their urgent application and he hopes it will be heard within the next two weeks.

But the Speaker of Parliament, Theo Zurenuoc, told the Post Courier newspaper that recalling Parliament can only be done by Parliament and not the courts.

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