Polye challenged to name corrupt National Alliance party members

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

DON Polye has been challenged to name those who were corrupt in the National Alliance-led government, The National reports.
"Polye keeps on talking about corruption in the government he just left," party president Simon Kaiwi said. "What has he done about it when he was deputy prime minister, acting prime minister and a senior minister in government?"
He said Polye should not continue to point fingers.
"He should name names. Is James Marape corrupt? Is Leo Dion corrupt? Is Sam Abal corrupt? Is Sir Arnold Amet corrupt? And, for that matter, is Charles Abel corrupt?
"You cannot give a blanket corruption allegation against the NA members of parliament," Kaiwi said.
"We are not going to lie down quietly. Let some of them check their own backyard now.
"Some of them think they are clean but it is public knowledge that some are living beyond their means and are manipulating laws to suit themselves."
Kaiwi rubbished Polye's claims of being the NA parliamentary leader.
"Polye is not the leader of National Alliance in Papua New Guinea.
"He is claiming to be elected by the party caucus in Jiwaka. But, there was no such meeting."
Kaiwi said out of the 41 MPs, Polye only had 16 in Jiwaka when no parliamentary
caucus meeting had taken place to deal with the leadership issue.
"For Polye to take over leadership of NA, a properly-constituted meeting of 42 MPs in a parliamentary caucus is needed. Don leads only 16.
"You need a two-third majority for a properly-constituted council meeting.
"The NA-led government was dismantled by a faction led by Polye and, by doing that, we lost government, the prime ministership and now we are winding down to lea­ders of small parties with fewer numbers running government.
"It is his doing that we lost government and, if that is not enough, the small faction then supports the new regime to disqualify the NA leader and East Sepik regional member.
"I myself, as president and chairman of the national execu­tive committee, cannot pretend that everything is okay and destroy the party that we built over many years."
Kaiwi said the issue was before the courts but the faction, led by Polye and Ano Pala, had destroyed the party that had been in place for the past 10 years.
"What they have done is not in the interest of the party."
He said that was why the council expelled the 20 MPs from NA.
"The remaining 21 MPs will consolidate their position and we will go out and prepare ourselves like all other parties for the 2012 general election," Kaiwi said.