Pangu, PAP back Somare to remain

LEADERS of key partners of the National Alliance have made it clear they are behind Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to see out his term, as lobbying continues for a possible vote of no-confidence when Parliament meets next week, The National reports.

Housing Minister Andrew Kumbakor and Commerce and Industry Minister Gabriel Kapris told The National they would stay with NA and Sir Michael for the sake of stability.

The two claimed their party members were with them, although members were now not bound by any party resolution or the view of their leader.

If they stick together, combined Pangu Pati and PAP have 10 MPs.

With NA’s 41, a Pangu/PAP/NA group swells the number to 51. Then, there are the People’s National Congress, United Resources Party, United Party, Melanesian Alliance and other smaller parties that give Sir Michael a comfortable majority to fight off any challenge.

There is a faction calling itself the “middle group”, which included PNC’s Ken Fairweather. They claim 11 MPs.

Kumbakor said yesterday the intention of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) was to provide stability in politics.

“Pangu is intact and we stand in coalition with our partners in government to provide stability. I see no reason for people to be jumping up and down.”

Kumbakor said the members, including Kavieng MP Martin Aini, Nipa-Kutubu MP Philemon Embel and Talasea MP Francis Marus, were all intact and stand firm behind the government coalition partners.

He said those who wanted to remove the government were doing it to assume power but warned MPs that power could be very dangerous.

He said the very same people who had been pushing for the integrity law were the same people now claiming that this law was not good.

“Papua New Guinea is full of hypocrites.”

Kumbakor admitted that Pangu, like all other parties, had failed to muster the numbers in the 2007 elections and National Alliance, who won the most seats, were invited to form government.

Kapris assured investors that his party would not move for the sake of stability, good governance and favourable economic climate.

“PAP, with its six members, had joined hands with NA since 2002 and 2007; we will not be moved.

“We will always stand with the PM and take the government to the end of this term of Parliament.”

He said the government had delivered the LNG project and Vision 2050, setting the road map that would see change in the livelihood of the people.

“It is sad to see young MPs like Sam Basil, who have no respect for the founding prime minister who had brought PNG this far.

“Some of us, young leaders, must swallow our pride and praise the prime minister, who is a well respected person and the people of Sepik, for 40 years, had given him that support.

 “As a leader and minister for commerce and industry, it had taken me awhile to market PNG to the world as not many countries know PNG; and the many years of hard work cannot be undone by the instability created by the opposition,” Kapris said.