Singirok denied in his broadcast on a state-owned radio that he was staging a coup, although he called on the Governor-General and Chief Justice to appoint a caretaker government.
"Our Defence Force is still a cohesive and loyal force and we all believe in a democratic government which is reasonably free from dishonesty and extortion," Brigadier Singirok said.
But Prime Minister Chan declared at a press conference tonight he would not resign. He added that he and fellow cabinet ministers would decide later tonight whether to sack the brigadier.
Police commissioner Bob Nenta also declared his loyalty to Chan after earlier reports indicated the police had sided with the Defence Force (PNGDF).
Former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, leader of the new political movement National Alliance, who has publicly stated he wished to oust Chan and end corruption in the country, tonight said the crisis was serious.
He also called on Chan to resign after widespread unrest in PNG and bitter foreign criticism over the $US36 million Sandline mercenary deal.
But Brigadier Singirok appeared to have solid support from the 5000-strong PNGDF. A former military intelligence chief, he is popular with younger soldiers for his attempts to clean out "deadwood" from the senior ranks.
In an 11-page statement broadcast in a popular talkback program on state-owned Radio Kalang this morning, Brigadier Singirok:
CALLED on Prime Minister Chan, his deputy Chris Haiveta and Defence Minister Mathias Ijape to resign within 48 hours. If they do not "then I will [plead with] Papua New Guineans to join hands to force them to resign".
APPEALED to the Governor-General, Sir Wiwa Korowi, and Chief Justice, Sir Arnold Amet, to appoint a caretaker government or a "transitional ruling council of good and excellent men and women".
DEMANDED the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the government's dealings with Sandline International and lay criminal charges against those involved.
CALLED on people and organisations who had been unjustly treated to "expose the actions of dishonest leaders". He cited investigations into the Public Officers Savings Fund property in Cairns, the Brisbane consulate, the Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust private hospital, the urban water issue and the Poreporena freeway as examples.
Citing "false and misleading" statements by Chan, Haiveta and Ijape, Sigirok said the government had lost its constitutional and democratic purpose.
"It is acting like a business organisation mainly to make profit at the expense of the well-being of its people," he said.
"The country and the various levels of government cannot effectively function without an effective government, while the deprivation of equal opportunity has further widened the gap of the ordinary Papua New Guineans. This must stop here."
Singirok said it was widely speculated that Sandline was using the Defence Force as a front and was equipping a private security company which belongs to Sir Julius Chan's family.
He added: "If true this is highly dangerous as the implications alone mean that the government no longer has trust in the police force and will empower private security firms with arms and explosives issued to protect lives and property for mainly the money orientated companies." - APN
