Opposition National Party Leader Kerenga Kua has accused Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s government of enticing Members of Parliament — now camped at Alotau — as an act of bribery.
Kua was speaking at a press conference yesterday where all the Opposition MPs, including East Sepik Governor Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, were attending to give support ahead of Friday’s no-confidence vote in Parliament.
The Sinasina Yongomugl MP reiterated his call that Prime Minister O’Neill was a “serial law breaker” and that taking all the members to Alotau was a criminal offence.
“You know the balus ticket is a bribe, the pocket allowance is a bribe, the food they are eating down there is a bribe, the hotel rooms they are sleeping in is a bribe, those are enticements, those are acts of bribery, they are all criminal offences, they are undue influences, they are both crimes and they are both misconduct of public office,” he said.
“I say this because these seven days was a time to consult with their electorates, their stakeholders, to see how they could arrive at a particular position, that’s time for consultation with the people, with the stakeholders, you have to be visible, you cannot lock yourself in a faraway hotel and make yourself invisible.
“The court has recently reinforced that order by saying that you got to have a seven day break between so it is contempt of court.”
Opposition Leader Don Polye also raised the same issue and alleged that this was enticement of members against their will.
“To me, I call that enticement,” Polye said. “Enticing Members of Parliament into a plane and taking them into Alotau is unnecessary.”
Grand chief
In a press conference today, Freddy Mou of Loop PNG reports the Opposition camp in Port Moresby was delighted by the presence of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.
Polye said their camp was a flexible and liberated team consisting of visionary leaders and not a team that decides who will be taking the top posts or portfolios.
“Therefore, I invite leaders of the coalition parties on the other side to join this camp because their views and negotiations will be heard,” he said.
Polye is inviting the leader of National Alliance, Patrick Pruaitch, United Resource Party, William Duma and other People’s National Congress Party members as well as the middle and back benchers to join their camp for the good of the people of this nation.
He said their team has the support of the forefathers such as Sir Michael Somare, Sir Mekere Morauta and Sir Julius Chan.
Gorethy Kenneth is a senior journalist with the PNG Post-Courier.
