Peter O’Neill says government intact, while opps confident of 34 to topple PM
THE numbers game is on in the run-up to the sitting of Parliament next week where a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister is likely to be introduced, The National reports.
While the opposition held a press conference yesterday, saying they could muster the numbers to remove Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, a senior government minister said they were intact and solidly behind Sir Michael.
“The coalition is intact.
“We are fully behind the prime minister.
“The government’s policies and programmes remain on track. The stable environment for business and investment will continue. I want to assure investors and our development partners that,” Public Service Minister and leader of the People’s National Congress party Peter O’Neill said.
The opposition needed a minimum of 34 additional members to give it a simple 55 majority to vote out the prime minister.
However, O’Neill rejected suggestions that one of PNC members, Ken Fairweather (Sumkar), broke ranks and co-signed a statement with Jamie Maxtone-Graham, calling for the removal of the PM.
“Fairweather had assured me he was not a party to that statement being circulated around,” O’Neill said.
Fairweather did not appear in a press conference yesterday, held at opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta’s residence, where Maxtone-Graham distributed the statement.
Maxtone-Graham claimed the two of them were part of a group of 11 MPs calling themselves the “middle group”, who are siding with the opposition to change the government.
The opposition said they were confident of recruiting 34 government members to give them the simple majority required to remove the prime minister in a vote of no-confidence.
“We, in the opposition, are ready to work with our colleagues on the other side to remove this family dynasty,” Sir Mekere said.
Sir Mekere was flanked by deputy leader Bart Philemon and MPs Francis Awesa, Michael Vincent, Sam Basil, Koni Iguan and Maxtone-Graham.
They claimed they were in talks with people in government, but did not say who they were.
Philemon said the opposition was ready to remove the prime minister who had already lost the plot and an old man who has lost his usefulness.
He said the post of the prime minister was on a clean slate and “anyone in government that brings the numbers is capable of taking it”.
Sir Mekere said it was now time for the elected Members of Parliament to listen to the people and destroy the house of Somare.
But a government spokesperson countered this, saying a number of opposition MPs were expected to join the government and the ruling National Alliance party.
The spokesperson said they were also talking to a political party in the opposition.
The spokesperson denied that there was a rift in the National Alliance which was widening, prompting them to “recruit”.
Meanwhile, on the opposition side, deputy leader of PNG Party and Imbonggu MP Francis Awesa denied rumours of a split.
Awesa said the rumours were being spread by people in an attempt to destabilise the party in the wake of the mooted no-confidence motion against the prime minister.
“A lot of people are claiming that the party is divided, which is wrong. We are all intact.
“The eight members are together in the opposition.”
He also claimed the one key party member had been lured by the government but had refused their offer to stay with the party.
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