Tensions set to mount as Papua New Guinea court rules vote against PM must proceed

Tensions are set to crescendo in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea in the coming week after the nation's supreme court ordered parliament to hear a vote of no confidence motion against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

PNG's national parliament was suspended only moments before a vote of no confidence against O'Neill was to be heard on June 8 following clashes between student protestors and police that resulted in more than a dozen injuries.

Opposition leader Don Polye was forced to take the matter to the court as the August reconvene would then not allow another no-confidence vote against O'Neill. A vote must be heard before July 27 due to laws stipulating votes of no confidence cannot be conducted within 12 months of the national election.

Local television station EMTV News reported the court ruled in Polye's favour on Tuesday, ordering parliament be recalled within five days to debate the motion of no confidence against O'Neill.

"(The Supreme Court justices) said Acting Parliamentary Speaker, Aide Ganasi, acted in an unconstitutional manner and denied the rights of fellow members of parliament in adjourning parliament and not acting on the motion on June 8 of this year," the broadcaster reported.

O'Neill's office did not immediately respond to Xinhua's request for comment.

Pressure has been mounting on O'Neill to step down and face corruption allegations over his role in authorizing a 31 million Australian dollar (23.50 million U.S. dollar) payment to local law firm Paul Paraka Lawyers for fraudulent invoices.

Anti-corruption officers have been attempting to arrest O'Neill for questioning since 2014, however O'Neill has labelled the allegations politically motivated and has refused to step aside. He is still challenging the warrant through the courts.

O'Neill's political opposition also claims there has been a deliberate and criminal mismanagement of the country whose economy is suffering from the downturn in global commodities.

Essential services in health and education have been cut to limit the budgetary impact, however that's caused some unrest and political grandstanding due to impact of the worst El Nino induced drought on record.

Meanwhile officials are discussing the 48-hour ultimatum given by civic and business leaders for O'Neill to resign or risk widespread civil disobedience and the halting of essential services.

It's believed the government will use emergency powers to declare martial law in a bid to call out police and military personnel to quell any demonstrations and halt the strike.

"(By) invoking the Internal Security Act... means that police will have the ultimate power, or full powers, to arrest anyone who incites public violence and disrupt government services or threaten public property," PNG Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari told national newspaper The Post Courier.

"These are criminal acts so that is why the National Security Advisory Council will revoke the Internal Security Act and Essential Services Act. Police are also looking into the matter."

The lingering question among Australian PNG watchers is who will take over if O'Neill was to step down.

Ranked 139 out of 167 countries in Transparency International's global corruption perception index, PNG has a history of conducting inquiries and referring people for prosecution only for further action to subside. Endit