Legally, Sir Michael is the PM, says Ribat

By YEHIURA HRIEHWASI
GRAND Chief Michael Somare is still the legal Prime Minister and no one can take that away from him, says the Archbishop of Port Moresby Catholic Diocese John Ribat.
Ribat, who is president of the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBC), yesterday reiterated their call that now was the best time for Sir Michael to step aside gracefully so that the people could hold him in high regard.
Ribat said he was invited by Sir Michael for a meeting regarding the CBC’s call on the veteran East Sepik regional MP to step down from active politics for his health’s sake and that of the nation.
The CBC spokesman and Archbishop of Rabaul Diocese Francesco Panfilo on Monday called on Sir Michael to resign and for Parliament Speaker Jeffery Nape to either resign or be removed to prevent him from causing further damage to the country.
In an interview with ABC’s Pacific Beat programme yesterday, Ribat maintained the Bishops’ position, adding they had been calling for him to step down for some time.
Toward the end of the interview Ribart said: “This is the first time we have mentioned it openly to the nation and to him, and that is why now he is calling me to go and discuss this further.
“Our minds at this time would be to call on the Prime Minister Sir Michael to retire, to consider his health.
“He just came from a very big operation and right after the operation he did not have the time to recuperate – he just went straight into the situation we are in now.”
He said the church had all the respect for him and respected him as a leader and as a person.
Ribat said the CBC was concerned about his health.
He added that Sir Michael was not at the best of health. “We are calling on him to resign”.
Asked if the bishops were taking political sides or a neutral thing for the country, Ribat responded: “We are not taking sides. We are seeing it as a neutral position for the whole country.
“We are seeing it as a position that is neutral and it is good for the whole country and taking into account that Sir Michael has done his best over the years until today.
“And now this time he’s very handicapped by his health and also I think it is time for him to give space to new upcoming leaders.
“And for him, our calling is actually on a neutral ground, calling on him to consider this very gracefully.
“He must not to take it as an insult or whatever, but as a way that we hold him with high regard,” Ribat said