MPs join another party, details withheld

 By MALUM NALU

THE three Cabinet ministers who resigned from the Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party last week have already joined another party, Forests Minister Douglas Tomuriesa 

says.

He, however, declined to disclose the party, saying the party leader would be making an announcement on the move soon.

Tomuriesa (pictured), Higher Education Minister Delilah Gore and Labour and Industrial Relations Minister Benjamin Poponawa resigned from THE party last week.

Tomuriesa said they would still hold on to their ministries given to them by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill after THE party leader Don Polye was sacked as Treasurer and later ousted from the government benches.

Tomuriesa told The National, they were not part of the Alotau Accord of 2012 in which parties in the coalition government were given ministries according to the number of MPs.

He scoffed at suggestions that no party in the coalition government wanted to take them in.

“The fact of the matter is we have signed up with a party but we will not announce it yet,” he said.

“It will be announced by the party leader.”

Tomuriesa said Gore, Poponawa and he would hold on to their ministries under the new party.

“That’s the arrangement,” he said.

“The arrangement is we still hold on to our ministries. Forget about the Alotau Accord.

“THE Party is no longer under the government. Whatever Polye did was not in the spirit of the Alotau Accord. We maintain our ministries.

“It was given to us under the prime minister’s accord. Ministries are not given by THE Party leader.”

Tomuriesa also spoke out against Registrar of Political Parties Dr Alphonse Gelu for not recognising their resignations and for a letter he wrote to Polye.

“We have written to him (Gelu),” he said.

“What we’re basically saying is that the Registrar of Political Parties must be impartial.

“When you look at the letter, he basically gave a direction, which is wrong.”

Tomuriesa said he and his colleagues were free to resign as Section 58 of the Organic Law on Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates had been rescinded by the Supreme Court in 2010.