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OPPOSITION and PNG Party leader Sir Mekere
Morauta said last Friday he was not surprised to see the National
Alliance Party giving “crumbs” to its coalition partners when cabinet
positions were distributed.
“NA is being true to form … it has kept all the important resource and
economic ministries for itself.
“That is typical NA style … it keeps all the good things for itself and
passes on the crumbs to others,” Sir Mekere said in reaction to the new
cabinet.
He said all the NA hype built around the Kokopo camp in the lead-up to
the formation of Government and the promises made to induce Members to
join the camp had now been forgotten.
“They are not reflected in the division of spoils … Sir Michael and NA
had again effectively marginalised their coalition parties in terms of
ministries.”
Sir Mekere said that the People’s Democratic Movement with five Members
was rewarded with only the Higher Education Ministry going to its leader
Michael Ogio.
He said that some
leaders, such as Moses Maladina of Rural Development Party, and smaller
parties such as Enga Governor Peter Ipatas’ People’s Party and Kantri
Pati had been overlooked for ministries altogether.
Sir Mekere said that
he noted with some curiosity that some NA ministers, including Deputy
Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu and his predecessor Don Polye, had been
allocated more than one ministry.
“Can we conclude that the Government will try to make constitutional
changes to increase the number of ministries beyond 28 and these
‘double’ ministerial responsibilities will then be offloaded?” he asked.
Sir Mekere also said the people of Western, New Ireland, West New
Britain and Oro provinces were entitled “to feel hard done by”.
“These four provinces are major contributors to Government coffers and
the economy through projects such as Ok Tedi and Lihir mines and the oil
palm industry, yet none of these provinces is represented in the
cabinet,” he said.
“At the same time, I find it intriguing that almost all of the Open
Members from East Sepik, Sandaun and East New Britain are ministers. Is
this fair?”
 
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