meanwhile...(paywall)PNG riot: security forces storm parliament over unpaid APEC wages
Soldiers are fighting with police outside PNG's parliament. Picture: Supplied
Papua New Guinea soldiers, police and corrective services officers have stormed the parliament in Port Moresby seeking unpaid APEC allowances.
The Australian understands the officers forced their way into parliament, smashing some windows, cars and furniture.
MPs were trapped inside during the incident, with reports that “a couple of ministers got slapped around”.
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Opposition MP Allan Bird, who was with colleagues in a conference room preparing their response to last week’s PNG budget, said the incident had died down but suggested “this could be a sign of things to come”.
Mr Bird claimed there was dissatisfaction with the PNG Government and that “APEC was just the spark that erupted it”.
Another opposition MP described the situation as “very tense”.
Senior opposition MP Kerenga Kua said parliament was due to resume at 2pm for the budget reply.
“If the parliament does not sit at 2pm, we will demand the Prime Minister’s resignation,” Mr Kua said.
PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill commands a sizeable majority, with only 22 opposition MPs in the 111-member parliament.
Those involved were part of the joint APEC security taskforce which had earlier been working side-by-side with AFP and Australian defence personnel.
The first occasion a vote of no confidence can been moved against Mr O’Neill is in February, 18-months since the last election.
The Australian understands the violence took place at the same location where Xi Jinping on Friday was greeted by PNG MPs and opened a new ceremonial road.
PNG residents have expressed anger about the cost of hosting APEC with the purchase of 40 Maseratis and three Bentleys infuriating voters in a nation with 60 per cent unemployment, a polio outbreak, ongoing tribal fighting in the Highlands and surging rates of gender violence.
Australia spent an estimated $200m supporting PNG in hosting the APEC summit.
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