Sir Michael Somare ... Will Papua New Guineans remember him as the man who helped them pull up their canoe? Photo: Pacific Scoop

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Ben Bohane in Port Vila

Papua New Guinea’s power struggle appears locked in political combat, with an old Sepik strongman trying to claw back power from a new generation Highlander who made a pre-emptive raid on parliamentary numbers to secure the riches of electoral incumbency.

In classic Melanesian fashion, both are upping the ante with payback moves that are starting to spiral dangerously. Politics in Papua New Guinea does not always follow the niceties of process and protocol. Power is rarely given – it is taken.

A circuit breaker is required but who can do it? PNG has no Council of Chiefs, or a President, or a high profile religious leader. Read more »

Rescuers on the Chinese ship Zhonghe pluck 29 survivors of the Rabaul Queen ferry disaster from the sea off Papua New Guinea. Photo: Mopays

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Starza Paul in Port Moresby

About 170 passengers have been rescued at Magarida, in Papua New Guinea’s Central Province, after bad weather forced a ferry to abandon its planned trip to Port Moresby following last week’s Rabaul Queen tragedy.

The ferry, Kimbe Queen,  also reported to be a sister ship of the Rabaul Queen that sank off Finschhafen last Thursday morning, was en route to Port Moresby from Alotau carrying mostly students when the skipper forced the ship to take refuge at Walai Island off Kupiano.

Captain Tommy Joseph was reported to have slowed the speed of the ship and avoided a “certain disaster” that would have seen two major shipping tragedies happening within a few hours of each other. Read more »

PNG prime Minister-elect Peter O’Neill pledges inquiry into the ferry tragedy. Video: Euronews

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Ellen  Tiamu in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinean officials have confirmed that 238 passengers have been rescued from waters off the coast of Finschhafen, Morobe, province, where the ferry Rabaul Queen sank early yesterday.

It is not known how many were missing from the 300-passenger coastal vessel which was Lae-bound from New Guinea Islands ports.

Search and rescue operations were abandoned when darkness fell last night but  resumed at first light today, Morobe acting provincial administrator Patillas Gamato said. Read more »

Rescuers have plucked more than 200 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after a ferry sank. Video: Sky News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Lisa Pagelio in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea’s National Maritime Safety Authority says scores of survivors of the sunken Rabaul Queen are being treated for fatigue after hours in rough seas.

They have been swimming or hanging onto life-rafts for hours before the first search and rescue team arrived after the ferry sank with more than 350 people on board yesterday.

Chief executive officer of the National Maritime Safety Authority, Captain Nurur Rahman says none of the survivors have suffered serious injuries. Read more »

Papua New Guinea stand-off: Prime Minister Peter O'Neill (left) - defiantly snubbing a court order; and "reinstated" Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare ... fighting for the rule of law. Photo: ABC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Malum Nalu in Port Moresby

Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, who maintains he is the legitimate prime minister of Papua New Guinea, says he will continue to uphold the Constitution, The National reports.

Sir Michael, whose claim to lead the government is backed by a Supreme Court ruling delivered last December, said in a statement at the weekend: “If this is to be my last and biggest battle, I will fight for the Constitution, the underlying law that holds the very fabric of our democracy and democratic institutions together.

“Yes, I could call it quits and allow elected leaders that continuously sidestep our laws to take us to the brink of our democracy. Read more »

PNG soldiers during the military crisis over the political power struggle this week. Photo: Post-Courier

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Post-Courier staff reporters in Port Moresby

The struggle for power between Papua New Guinea’s Parliament-elect Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the Supreme Court reinstated Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is far from over.

This follows a failed mutiny — the first ever in this country’s Defence Force — led by a retired army officer supported by about 40 gun-totting soldiers who stormed the military headquarters of the PNG Defence Force at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby in the early hours of Thursday, catching everyone by surprise.

The mutineers placed the commander, Brigadier-General Francis Agwi under house arrest and installed retired colonel, 65-year-old Yaura Sasa as commander. Read more »

Surrendered ... Colonel Yaura Sasa and his mutineers "seized control" of the PNG military this morning but backed down by tonight. Photo: ABC clip

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By the PMC news desk

A renegade retired colonel who claimed to have seized control of Papua New Guinea’s military today in a bid to restore court-ordered Sir Michael Somare’s prime ministership has surrendered tonight in the country’s political crisis.

Military sources said Colonel Yaura Sasa’s mutineers had surrendered, according to the blog of prominent journalist Malum Nalu.

This was confirmed by former PNG Defence Force officer Reg Renagi. Read more »

Part of the huge landslide near Tumbi in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands. Photo: The National

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Isaac Nicholas in Port Moresby

More than 60 villagers have reportedly died and many more unaccounted for after a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea buried homes, vehicles and properties at dawn yesterday.

The disaster struck near the Tumbi quarry of the giant ExxonMobil liquefied natural gas project near Hides, Southern Highlands province, between 3am and 5am. Searchers today recovered at least 40 bodies.

According to initial reports, the whole side of a nearby mountain collapsed, covering an area stretching about 2km and 500m wide. Read more »

Fiji's Ambassador to the United States, Winston Thompson ... interview with Al Jazeera. Photo: The Diplomat

Pacific Scoop:
Interview – By Eddie Walsh of Al Jazeera

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke famously condemned Fiji’s first military coup, saying: “Today’s events are particularly deplorable as the first military coup against an elected government in the South Pacific.”

In the wake of the 1987 coup d’etats, democracy has remained elusive for a post-colonial society deeply divided along racial lines. With further military coups in 2000 and 2006, Suva, Fiji’s capital, has become the coup capital of the South Pacific.

The question is whether Fiji can chart a new course and re-establish a stable and enduring democracy. The choice rests with Commodore Frank Bainimarama, the leader of the 2006 coup and current head of government. Without his acquiescence, democracy will not return to Fiji. But, even with it, there are no guarantees. This is the puzzle Fiji faces.

Eddie Walsh of Al Jazeera spoke with Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States, Winston Thompson, to hear his views on what progress has been made towards the restoration of democracy and the country’s outlook for 2012: Read more »

Deputy PM Belden Namah ... angered by the Indonesian incident. Photo: PNG govt

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo in Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea has recalled its ambassador to Indonesia in the latest fallout from the row over an air space  incident that angered the Deputy Prime Minister.

Belden Namah, Deputy Prime Minister in the parliamentary appointed government, had earlier called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to resign.

In a talkback radio programme,  Namah angrily called on O’Neill to resign over the incident in Indonesian air space on November 29 when the PNG government-owned Falcon jet was reportedly intercepted by two Indonesian military fighter jets. Read more »