Punch-up stops Parliament

Press, 5 December 1979, Page 9

Punch-up stops Parliament

NZPA-Reuter Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s national Parliament was suspended in uproar yesterday after a senior Minister, Sir Pita Lus, rushed across the chamber and punched an] Opposition front-bencher! several times. Sir Pita, the P.N.G. Minis-' ter for Commerce, and one! of Mr Michael Somare’s; closest advisers, had to be pulled away from the Opposition member, Mr Mek Nugints, by several other members. Mr Somare admitted in Parliament recently that Sir Pita was sometimes disruptive in the chamber. Mr Somare made the admission after Sir Pita had been suspended from the House for the day for continually interrupting Parliamentary business and disobeying the Acting Speaker. After yesterday’s trouble, the Acting Prime Minister (Mr Ebia Olewale) remonstrated with Sir Pita in the chamber. Mr Nugints crossed the floor to the Government side, where Sir Pita by then was Standing, and challenged him to continue the fight. ' When Government members surrounded Sir Pita to prevent the two from meeting again, Mr Nugints stood on the Government Ministers’ bench and repeated his I challenge, calling: “You laik I pait? You laik pait?” I (“Would you like to fight?”). Parliament was suspended: indefinitely. '