National Alliance holding crucial talks

THE ruling National Alliance party will meet today over the leadership issue as political parties went into camp over the weekend, The National reports.

The meeting, according to party officials, was crucial as horse-trading begins in a move to oust Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

NA is mobilising its parliamentary members for this afternoon’s talks at the PNG Institute of Public Administration hall.

Party officials said the meeting would decide on an agenda for the party caucus to be held in Minj on Aug 12, including proposed amendments to the party constitution and a proposed alteration to the party policy and rules.

The NA went into camp at the Airways Hotel while the opposition, led by Sir Mekere Morauta, is at the Bluff Inn Motel outside Port Moresby.

The opposition, meantime, has denied that South-Bougainville MP Steven Kama has broken ranks to join the United Resource Party (URP).

URP leader William Duma said last Friday that Kama had joined with two other MPs, boosting its number to 10.

Sir Mekere claimed in a statement stories were circulating that core members of the Somare “kitchen cabinet” had been buying MPs.