Marape, Opposition face off today

TODAY’S court-directed Parliament session should hopefully put an end to uncertainty that has kept the country guessing whether Prime Minister James Marape can survive a purported move to oust him from office.
As the members of parliament stream into the chambers at 10am today, the country will watch closely as they fill the chairs at either side of the side of the chamber and the middle benches.
A headcount should reaffirm or otherwise Marape’s claim and rationale to hold on to power until, as he has insisted, a duly processed motion of confidence puts paid such a claim.
Marape is daring the Opposition to “come and get it if you want it”.
Opposition Leader Belden Namah and former prime minister Peter O’Neill say he has lost the confidence of parliament and should humbly concede and resign.
As of last week, both Marape and Namah claimed each had half the number of the 110-member house (excluding a Bougainville Regional MP). The numbers will decide this morning.
A five-man Supreme Court had directed last Wednesday that Parliament sits today, a Monday which is not a traditional meeting day.
What do we expect will happen? Both sides claim to have the numbers but Marape’s one vote is not certain – that of Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta who is unlikely to make today’s session on advice from his doctors.
The impasse created after the Nov 13 session has dragged on for long enough and the country deserves a speedy end to it all so business can return to normal.
The court ruling last Wednesday has also nullified the 2021 budget tabled and passed in Parliament on Nov 17. So the sooner a new one is delivered the better for everyone.
Any change of government will obviously have its own priorities reflected in a re-drawn budget so that in itself will mean some readjustment in the public service which is tasked with the implementation of the national money plan.
As former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet said in a recent television interview, in any other Westminster democracy such as Great Britain, Australia or New Zealand, the PM would resign when he no longer enjoys the support of the majority of the house.
If this morning’s session does indicate that Marape’s support has dwindled from the 55 MPs he claims to have on his side, then in principle that should be convincing enough for him to resign, making any actual motion of no confidence immaterial.
A lot has happened in the few weeks since Nov 13 when Parliament adjourned to Dec 1 and Speaker Job Pomat overruled his deputy Koni Iguan’s ruling and resumed the budget session on the following Tuesday, a session which has been rendered unconstitutional and invalid.
A lot has happened behind the scenes with the movement of members to and from either camp.
There could be some movement at the eleventh hour. As they say, there is never a dull moment in PNG politics.
Traditionally, as in all such political games in the history of PNG, a fair bit of money changes hands.
We are not saying any such transaction has actually taken place this time, only the proverbial fly on the wall is privy to it all.
But we all hope that none of the people’s representatives have been influenced by anything other than their avowed service to their constituencies and the national interest. In times such as this, there’s nothing more scary than a bought man.