The National Parliament at 11am today (May 17) received the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Bulolo Open, Sam Basil, for the last time.
Speaker of the House, Job Pomat received the casket from the pallbearers and ceremonial guards.
The late Deputy Prime Minister was received and honored with the traditional lie-in-state ceremony for an hour where Members of Parliament and other state heads paid their respects.
At 12:26pm, the casket of late Basil left the House of Parliament and was transported to the funeral home.
At 2pm today, the casket was brought to Sir John Guise Stadium for the State Funeral Service.
The day’s events are part of a three-day state funeral programme that will conclude on Wednesday 18 May in Port Moresby.
On Wednesday, his casket will be flown to Lae, Morobe Province, where a separate program to honour and officially farewell the late Deputy Prime Minister, will unfold.