LISA PAGELIO | NBC News PNG
CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER Peter O'Neill said today there are “well over 68 members in the Alotau camp”, where he has set up his headquarters while trying to form a coalition government for Papua New Guinea.
Mr O’Neill says they are ready to form government and will not let the people of Papua New Guinea down.
On Friday, the arrival of 26 members in Alotau included Sir Julius Chan, Sir Puka Temu and Patrick Pruaitch. Others who arrived on that same day include two URP members from South Bougainville and Menyamya, Benjamin Philip and other smaller party leaders.
Mr O’Neill assured all present that the People’s National Congress will work closely with them to ensure the government that is formed is stable, united and that there will be a reconciliation of past differences.
Mr O’Neill also thanked senior party leaders and the three former Prime Ministers (Sir Julius Chan, Paias Wingti and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare) for showing confidence in him and for giving him their support.
He said the Alotau camp is ready and they are looking forward to the invitation from the Governor General to form the next government.
Meanwhile, PNG Party leader Belden Namah is not allowing the numbers game to deter his resolve to pull the government from under O'Neill's feet.
Yet again he's boldly predicted his chances are huge - whether he gets there or places someone on top instead.
He cautioned O'Neill about the people he's surrounded himself with, saying they were not there during the past 10 turbulent months.
"Prime Ministers are elected on the eleventh-hour as members of parliament enter the floor,” Namah said.
“And with my faith and trust in God, I will have the numbers to form the next government. If I don't, I will still form government and make somebody else prime minister. I can do it and I will do it, I've done it."
The current movement of former prime ministers looks very suspicious .
These are the very same people under whose watch these country has gone backwards. They all have tainted histories. They all have vested interests in having government protection.
They can't possibly be moving to O'Neill's side for the sake of the country... after all they had the past 40 years to do something worthwhile for the country.
Why can't other leaders step out as alternate PM candidates? Why does O'Neill have to side with them?
What will happened to the investigations by the Sam Koim anti corruption team of last year?
It looks like all the corruption will never be fully investigated and those that have been investigated already need to wait another five years before they see the light of day!
God help PNG.
Posted by: Frank K Daosak | 30 July 2012 at 12:28 AM
Out of disgust for O'Neill throwing in with Somare, Wingti, Chan, Pruaitch and others, I am all for Namah to get as many unknowns together to form the next government if he can.
Mi klostu traut taim mi lukim face blong ol dispela ex-PM blong bipo yet smiling gleefully! It was quite nauseating.
Posted by: John Wali | 29 July 2012 at 11:30 PM
Belden Namah is right. This sovereign nation will go down again if so called ‘old dogs’ with their parties intermarriage with PNC to form the next government.
The people of Papua New Guinea don’t want the National Alliance (NA), People's Progress Party (PPP) and People's Democratic Movement (PDM) to align with the care-taker Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s PNC party to form the next government.
We want Don Polye’s THE Party, Namah’s PNG Party, Duma’s URP and O’Neill’s PNC party with other smaller parties and Independents to form the next government to take this struggling nation forward.
Posted by: Joe Wasia | 29 July 2012 at 12:50 PM