OPPOSITION Leader, Belden Namah is calling on the Government to immediately lift lockdowns throughout Papua New Guinea and promote ‘NIUPELA PASIN’ Protocols.
In a statement today, Mr Namah said lockdowns are killing the economy and putting people out of work and shutting down businesses.
“Unless the government lifts lockdowns immediately, it will be creating a social and economic disaster far worse than the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Opposition Leader said.
Mr Namah said, “lockdowns are encouraging criminal activities and disrupting the education of a whole generation of children”.
“The Pandemic Act has given the Prime Minister and his Pandemic Controller unbridled powers. Mr Marape and Mr David Manning and a close knit group of ministers and supporters are now usurping the powers of the legislature, the judiciary, the bureaucracy and even the executive government itself.”
“We are fast moving towards becoming a police state,” Namah stated.
“While lifting lockdowns, I call for ‘NIUPELA PASIN’ Protocols to be promoted and encouraged by public health workers and civil servants and not members of the security forces.”
He said Police and soldiers are abusing the human rights of the citizens and adding further to the hardships and misery imposed by the pandemic.
“Police should be performing their mandated policing roles, soldiers have a massive task of guarding our unguarded land and our wide open sea borders while Warders should be maintaining prisons and rehabilitating the criminals,” Mr Namah said.
The Opposition Leader further went ahead and exposed what appears to be the hypocrisy and double standards of James Marape.
“Finally, I wish to expose the hypocrisy and double standards of James Marape. On 21st April, he caused Parliament to be adjourned for four months to the 10th of August without a detailed report on the status of COVID-19 pandemic after a five month hiatus from December 2020.”
Namah said Parliament sat only one and half days.
“He has not accounted for the billions of kina spent allegedly spent on COVID-19 Pandemic operations,” Namah said.
The Opposition Leader said, “the Prime Minister further locked down Parliament and sent Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Services Staff home”.
“Three days later on Saturday the 24th, a Sabbath day for some of us, Mr Marape was celebrating his birthday on Loloata Island resort with guests in excess of 100 persons.
“So he will shut down Parliament without any debate on pressing life and death issues and shut families and businesses down but he can party with his friends at will.”
“This is hypocrisy at its best,” Namah stated.
“l want Papua New Guinea to know the kind of man we have as our Prime Minister: a hypocrite who cares only for himself and who shuns and forgets his district and national duties and responsibilities.”
Namah encouraged all Papua New Guineans to take heart and know that this dark cloud will soon pass.
“Every disaster presents opportunities and I encourage you to be innovative and creative. I urge one and all to observe COVID-19 protocols because the threat is real and it is attacking in fast mutating patterns.”
“I wish one and all to support this call publicly and press government to lift all lockdowns which are strangling our economy and our people.”