5 more years at helm

By REBECCA KUKU and HELEN TARAWA
THE James Marape-led Pangu Pati has been invited by the Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae to form the next government, after winning 36 seats – the highest by any single party.
Pangu has also managed to secure a coalition with other political parties and independent candidates, taking their total number to around 80 in the 118-seat Parliament.
“We will hit the ground running with a caretaker cabinet and a full cabinet (to be named) at the earliest,” Marape said.
“(Our) full to-do list will be announced on Sept 7, and a Supplementary Budget will be delivered on Sept 8. This is the benefit of having a continuing government because we had started the work of reconstructing our country over the past three years.
“We are looking forward to building on this.”
There are still 14 seats yet to be declared in the General Election 2022 (GE22).
Party secretary Morris Tovebae received the invitation from Sir Bob after Government House received the letter from the acting Political Parties Registrar Emmanuel Pok confirming that Pangu had won the most seats.
The first session of the 11th Parliament is expected to start at 10am today.
Clerk to Parliament Kala Aufa told The National that the 85 MPs whose writs were returned to Sir Bob last Friday would be sworn in by the Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
They would then elect a Speaker who will then go to Government House to be sworn in before returning to Parliament to officiate over the election of the prime minister.
After a prime minister is elected, Parliament will be adjourned so that he or she can go to Government House to be sworn in.
The prime minister will return to Parliament to deliver his maiden speech before the House is adjourned. He said sitting allocations would be given by the Sergeant-at-Arms Ralai Vali after Cabinet Ministers are named. Meanwhile, Madang MP Bryan Kramer said he hoped to attend today’s sitting although the writ from his electorate was yet to be returned to Government House.