THE People’s National Congress Party (PNC) leader, Peter O’Neill, has slammed the Speaker of Parliament, Job Pomat, for interfering in Opposition matters.
Mr O’Neill said Mr Pomat had no right to appoint the Opposition Leader and Deputy Opposition Leader, which was the business of the Opposition Caucus.
“I want to categorically and clearly state my disappointment that the Speaker has interfered in Opposition business undermining his own stature, position and further weakening our once strong democracy,” said the Member for Ialibu-Pangia.
“The Opposition Caucus determines the leadership of the Opposition in Papua New Guinea not the Speaker.
“Just as the Speaker has no right to arbitrarily appoint the Prime Minister or Ministers, he has no right to interfere in the decisions of the Opposition Caucus.
“Not content to fix their own serious governance issues including the damning allegations of interference made against the Prime Minister by the credible Deputy Commissioners of ICAC, yesterday, in a clearly politically motivated and orchestrated move, Government meddled in Opposition appointments.
“One would think the Government has enough to do attending to the graft and corruption that is gushing out causing a substantial social and financial crisis in our nation and international embarrassment.
“The Speaker has chosen instead to take time to meddle in Westminster protocols by appointing the Opposition Leader and Deputy Opposition leader.
“PNC is the largest party in Opposition since 2019 but the Speaker has chosen to allow a single MP party to lead the Opposition in a move perhaps designed to have an Opposition unable to hold Government to account rather than letting Opposition Caucus vote and decide fairly on the most effective leader.
“The people of Papua New Guinea were not granted a free and fair election in 2022 but even so, PNC emerged as the second biggest Party following the farce of an election. Since then, there has been unprecedented attacks on PNC including this latest railroading by the Speaker – what is Government so scared of?
“This Marape-led Government have ruined our country in such a short period of time and turned PNG into one of the most violent, corrupt, and undeveloped in the World. About time Government focused on its responsibilities and leave Opposition to sort its own affairs out,” Mr O’Neill said.