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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (July 1, 1999 - Radio Australia)---The Commander of the Peace Monitoring Group on Bougainville says he is confident the peace process on the island will be successful.

Under Australian military command, military and civilian personnel from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Vanuatu are deployed at six team sites on Bougainville, monitoring and reporting on the peace process.

Contributing countries have begun discussing a possible timetable for the withdrawal of the troops.

Brigadier Simon Willis, who assumed command in March, said no timetable for the withdrawal has been set.

"The job for the remaining time is similar. That is, reporting, monitoring and facilitating the peace process. And that will continue," he said, "although there will be different emphasis in different areas.

"How long are we're going to be here? How long is a piece of string? It depends on a lot of political decisions that are made; weapons...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (June 30, 1999 - PACNEWS)---The conference of the South Pacific Association of Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies in Fiji next month is drawing a star studded list of participants to the Suva-based University of the South Pacific (USP).

Among those attending are Commonwealth Literature prize winner Sia Figiel, Samoan novelist Albert Wendt, Fiji poet Sudesh Mishra, Niue writer and artist John Pule and Papua New Guinea’s Nora Brash.

Dr. Shivani Narayan of Television New Zealand’s "Shortland Street" program also will be among the writers, artists and performers in attendance.

The conference's purpose is to give Pacific Island writers a chance to discuss their works with each other.

It is part of activities planned for the Pacific Artists and Writers Festival at USP, July 4 –11.

The theme of the conference, "Imagining Oceania," will be highlighted in a wide range of topics; from "Beyond Grass Skirts and Ukuleles" to "New...

CONGRESSMAN ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA Delegate from American Samoa U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C.

NEWS RELEASE June 29, 1999

FOREIGN-MADE BUSES

Congressman Eni Faleomavaega announced today that he has written to the leadership of the American Samoa House and Senate and requested that they hold a hearing on a request he received from the American Samoa Government (ASG) to amend the federal law which governs the safety standards applicable to vehicles driven on American Samoa's roads.

"The issue of the safety standards which should be applicable to the buses used for public transportation in American Samoa has been at issue for some time now," said Faleomavaega. "Buses made in foreign countries can be purchased in American Samoa for less money than buses made in the United States, so there is an incentive to introduce these buses into the territory. The problem is that these buses do not meet U.S. vehicle safety standards, and the question...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (July 1, 1999 - Radio Australia)---The Papua New Guinea Cabinet has decided it will not move to recall Parliament early -- despite the apparent collapse of the coalition Government headed by Prime Minister Bill Skate.

Radio Australia correspondent Richard Dinnen reports that Parliament will now reconvene on July 13th, when a no-confidence motion is scheduled to be moved against the Government.

"Bill Skate's Coalition was left in tatters by the defection on Monday of its main partner -- the People's Democratic Movement.

"The Deputy Prime Minister Iaiaro Lasaro approached elements of the new Opposition alliance, asking them to come over to the Government. The approach was rebuffed, and so the early re-call of Parliament has been abandoned.

"Parliament will sit on July 13th, and the no-confidence vote will be called early in the session.

"The new Opposition is claiming 82 of the 104 members.

"That number is...