Prime Minister James Marape is adamant that the upcoming Vote of No Confidence on his government will not distract him from working as the chief executive officer of the country.
“Some people think that some of us are fearful of 2024. Far from being fearful, we looking at working.
“I see a trend in PNG where some people become seasonal and topical experts on any and every matter.
“When it is COVID time we all are COVID and vaccine specialists, when it is Kumul or Hunters playing, we think we can do better than the Kumul coach or players, when it is economy, everybody and all-knowing speak on economy and tax matters. When it is on corruption, we all speak on it without serious reporting convictions and on politics we think we know it better than those in the arena,” said Marape.
The Prime Minister says he will not fear anything in 2024, including the VONC.
“But will give all free clue; instead of adjourning for the first sitting of parliament earlier than 9/02/24 or much later after this date, we adjourn parliament to 13/2/2024.
“VONC period is live from 9/2/2024 to 9/8/2026, in between we will be doing work and MPs will assess my performance as I assess theirs as we work for PNG,” he said.
In 2020, the Prime Minister said he survived an attempted VONC, when one third of MPs left his coalition the morning after they passed the historic ICAC bill his government sponsored into law.
“Government is not my private business, it belongs to our people through the body of leaders in Parliament.”
Marape further clarified that it is provided under Section 145 of the country’s constitution, where elected leaders keep in check the executive government, and it is within their domain and not for seasonal experts and most who have vested interests.
PNG was introduced into the 1980s with a first VONC, when PNG was five years into independence “And since then, we have changed every two years (1982 Somare, 1985 Wingti, 1987, Wingti, 1988 Namaliu, 1992 Wingti, 1995 Sir Julius, 1997 Skate and 1999 Mekere).
“I will be running the country until my time is up. I fear no one except God and our people. My MPs are my colleagues. I am their equal as MPs and it is within their rights to associate with my administration or leave me.”