Goroka team lures MPs from Alotau, Kokopo

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday July 1st, 2012

A NEW camp in Goroka is attracting MPs in the O’Neill and Namah camps.
Caretaker Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s People’s National Congress and its coalition partners are in Alotau. His deputy Belden Namah’s camp is in Kokopo as they try to attract the numbers to form the next government.
Speaking on behalf of the Goroka group, John Kerega Gugl, who is a candidate for the Chimbu regional seat and chairman of the PNG Good Governance organisation, claimed that there were more than 30 members in the group and he was expecting more to join.
“We have called this group the Eastern Bloc Alliance and we are urging other members to join our camp because we feel that we have been deprived of ministerial portfolios,” he said.
“We see that the government has already been formed without completion of elections in parts of the country.”
O’Neill is in the best position to form a new government.
Gugl said the group included candidates from Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka, Madang, Morobe and Northern.
He said new incumbent MPs in the highlands region, had flown back to Goroka.
“We are inviting other members to join this team if they feel they have been left out because we will have a great influence during the formation of the government,” he said.
Gulg said the Eastern Bloc Alliance felt important portfolios were already given to coalition members who were in the two camps (O’Neill and Namah).
The few who were awaiting completion of counting had little chance, he said.
Frustration led to the formation of the third camp and Gulg appealed to those dissatisfied with the situation to join him.