James Marape

In a press conference this morning at Laguna Hotel, Pangu Party's new leader and Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu issued a formal invitation which Marape and his former fellow PNC members accepted.

Marape said they are an alliance of 26 likeminded leaders who are combining with National Alliance led Opposition.

“I am happy on behalf of the group that I led out of PNC and with advice from Sir Peter Ipatas, that we now accept invitation to move into Pangu party,” Marape said.

In making the announcement last night at Laguna Hotel, Aitape-Lumi MP Patrick Pruaitch said the decision was unanimously reached following their caucus.

“With his experience and with the experience of most of us around him and in this camp, we think that we will redefine and redirect ‘MV Papua New Guinea’ to its direct course,” stated Pruaitch.

“We hope that under his leadership, Papua New Guinea will start to see real changes and eventually take back Papua New Guinea.”

The announcement was made this morning by the merged group at Laguna Hotel in Port Moresby.

Twenty-four Opposition Members plus the current thirty-three in Marape’s camp brings the total to 57 MPs in the alternate government.

“The team of leaders here who have joined me from the government side, you must give credit to them,” said Marape.

The Prime Minister has advised that he will not make a statement until he receives an official letter from Marape.

O'Neill said this following formalities of the launching of the Boluminski Highway in New Ireland Province.

Finance Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan is also in New Ireland Province.

He could not be reached for comment.

The Tari-Pori MP made his announcement today in front of staff at the Finance Department.

“The level of trust between Prime Minister and myself is at the lowest after his office and associates continue to send negative signals on their lack of trust on me,” he said in a statement released afterwards.

Marape made the announcement in front of staff at the Finance Department.

He said the decision was not easy to make despite the cultural and personal ties.

He did not give any reason behind his decision.

A formal handover takeover will be made at a later date.

More update to follow…

Leader of Government Business, James Marape, clarified that the adjournment was not to avoid the Vote of No-Confidence but government business will prevail as it is.

Leader of Government Business and Finance Minister, James Marape, when clarifying the adjournment today in Parliament, said the Vote of no-confidence is still open to the Opposition to move the motion if they think they have the numbers.

He said the Government is intact and confident that they will outnumber the Opposition if they move the motion.

Minister for Finance and Tari-Pori MP, James Marape, confirmed the amount in a press conference in Port Moresby recently.

After launching the Landowner Beneficiaries Identification (LOBID) exercise in Hela on Wednesday, Finance Minister James Marape and Petroleum Minister Fabian Pok have assured the landowners that their royalty is still being kept at the Central Bank awaiting the completion of the LOBID exercise.

Minister Marape said the Government is ready to pay the landowners but the onus is now on them to get together and identify their land.

He said individuals are claiming to be genuine landowners when they are not.

Speaking this morning as a local MP from Tari in Hela Province, Finance Minister Marape called on all landowners to go home and identify their land.

He said many ‘paper landowners’ are roaming the streets of Port Moresby without any purpose in life.

“Can we have all those so-called landowner leaders living in Port Moresby go home and help with the LOBID exercise?

“Go sanap lo baret kaukau blo yu, or diwai blo yu or maunten blo yu na tokim mipla olsem yu tru tru papa graun”.

Justice Jeffrey Shephard dismissed the petition at the competency stage yesterday, preventing it from going to trial.

Second runner-up in the Tari-Pori seat, Justin Haiara, filed the petition on 18 August 2017, disputing James Marape’s declaration of 9 July 2017. 

Marape and the Electoral Commission in response filed two motions, on 6 September and 6 November 2017 respectively, challenging the validity of Haiara’s petition.

Yesterday (Aug 23) the National Court handed its decision of the two objection to competency motions.