Paska lauds PM’s decision to step aside

By JEFFREY ELAPA
PNG Trade Union Congress general secretary John Paska has commended the move by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to step aside to allow the leadership tribunal to deliberate.
He said that unfortunately Sir Michael was forced to take this course of action which ultimately would prove to be his saving grace.
“There is no need for alarm. This is merely a storm in a tea cup.
“Mostly it is politics and business as usual and the public should have every confidence that the strength and resilience of our democratic institutions inclusive of the three major arms of government will prevail with regard to navigating a safe passage through all these,” Paska said.
He said that the present political uncertainty should not be used by political desperadoes from the opposition, to stir up a political typhoon out of nothing, to justify a vote of no confidence.
Paska said that the fact that the Ombudsman Commission allowed this in the first place made it culpable.
“Why did it take so long to prosecute him? And why him alone is a fact that the Ombudsman has consistently failed to forward copies of returns to numerous category of leaders inclusive of parliamentarians, directors and board members,” Paska said.