Marat prefers Namah’s style of leadership

DR Allan Marat says the MPs supporting sidelined deputy prime minster Belden Namah are doing so because they like his style of leadership.
“He is a straight shooter. That’s the kind of leadership we would like to see in the next five years.
“This is the kind of leadership that will bring about change.”
Incumbent Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is confident he will be asked to form the next government.
He already has the support of 68 MPs in the new parliament and has excluded Namah, who has been critical of his leadership in recent weeks.
Marat, attorney-general in the government led by O’Neill and Namah, said that before the elections, the coalition government agreed to help each other out during the campaign period in the elections and return to form the government.
“But that seems not (to be) the case,’’ he said.
The Namah group of MPs-elect is camping at Rapopo Plantation Resort.
They include Marat (Rabaul), Sam Basil (Bulolo), Malakai Tabar (Gazelle), Louta Atoi (North Bougainville), Sasindran Muthuvel (West New Britain), Ludwig Schultz (Angoram) and Joseph Lelang (Kandrian-Gloucester).
“We’re a group of winners because we’re here on principle,” Marat said.
“We have realised the principles we stand on which is why we’ve decided to come to this camp.
“Many people are now thinking that because the numbers are piling up in Alotau (O’Neill’s camp), the government is going to be formed there.
“When we talk about government, we don’t necessarily need the numbers. We talk about the principles of governance and we here at the Rapopo camp believe that we are winners.”
Marat said they did not want to be a part of a government which had politicians with “chequered past”.
“We don’t care if we are in opposition and we don’t care if we do not get ministries.
“But we do not want to be in a government in which we are always looking over our shoulders.”