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SIR Michael Somare will be the National Alliance party’s choice for
prime minister when the party is invited to form government in two weeks
time.
Party officials confirmed this yesterday, saying there should be no
confusion about this. As of yesterday evening, the party secured 25
seats, outperforming all other parties, and bettering its 2002 record,
when it won 19 seats.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen is expected to name the National
Alliance as the party to be invited to form government, when he visits
the Governor-General later this week.
A group of NA Members are camping in Goroka, and are courting
independents and other party officials. They are believed to be the
Highlands bloc, who may make a bid for the top job, including that of
Speaker, which returned Sinasina/Yongomugl MP Jeffery Nape wants to
retain.
NA party officials yesterday brushed aside confusing statements that a
deputy leader bringing in more MPs-elect from his or her region would
automatically be the party’s candidate for the prime minister’s post.
Spokesperson Betha Somare said this was not true and against the party
constitution because the constitution stated clearly that the leadership
issue must be dealt with when the council meets at the party convention.
Ms Somare said between now and the formation of government, it would be
“unconstitutional”to bring up the leadership issue.
“He (Sir Michael) is the leader of the party and will lead the party to
forming the new government as PM.”
The NA has set up three camps to gather together its members including
Goroka for Highlands, Wewak for Momase and Kokopo.
The three separate camps would travel to Kokopo to consolidate its
numbers before travelling back to Port Moresby for Parliament sitting.
The party is confident it has already secured 55 MPs from its
understanding with several parties and independents, who are led by
Nawaeb MP Timothy Bonga.
A source said NA had the backing of Melanesian Liberal Party (two),
People’s Action Party (five), People’s National Congress (five), Pangu
Pati (five), Rural Development Party (three), People’s First Party
(one), United Party (two) and independents.
Independents include Mr Bonga, Wewak MP-elect Jim Simatab, David Arore (Ijivitari),
Patrick Tammur (Kokopo) and Michael Sapau (Manus).
Soon after his victory in Wewak last Friday, Sir Michael said he was
confident of leading NA to forming government, for the last time.
He said as parliamentary leader, he would be the NA candidate for PM,
and that was provided in the party constitution.
He said there was also an understanding after the party convention that
he would lead the party into elections to see what numbers the NA could
get.
“And now I think we have got the numbers to form the government.”
The National Alliance secured the majority in the 1997 elections but
without the integrity law was forced to sit in the Opposition.
The party returned 19 in 2002, the highest, and was able to put together
a coalition to form government. In the current elections, the party has
returned 26 MPs, and could pick up one more of the five seats that
remain to be decided.
With the process of finding a successor beginning in earnest in Kokopo
where the NA and its partners are in camp, three who can count
themselves in are regional deputies Patrick Pruaitch (Momase), Don Polye
(Highlands) and Puka Temu (Papua).
The fourth Sinai Brown (NGI) lost his seat and the position may fall to
Foreign Minister Paul Tiensten.
 
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