PM must resign now: Marape

By Rebecca Kuku
THE Opposition camp has called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to resign immediately to avoid being voted out in a non-confidence motion when Parliament resumes tomorrow.
Tari-Pori MP James Marape said the vote of no-confidence against O’Neill by the Opposition, which now has a majority in Parliament of 63 MPs, would still go ahead as planned.
Marape was responding to the decision by O’Neill yesterday to step down “in the coming days” and handing over the rein to Sir Julius Chan as prime minister. Marape said O’Neill had no authority to appoint a prime minister.
He said Sir Julius was not a minister in O’Neill’s Cabinet and his announcement to step down and be replaced by Sir Julius was a “clown act done at Clown Camp”.
“O’Neill, if he is serious, must submit his official resignation to the governor-general and the Speaker of Parliament tomorrow (today),” Marape said.
Marape said 14 cabinet ministers had resigned after expressing their lack of confidence in O’Neill and the right thing for him to do now was to resign immediately.
“Either way, we have already formed the alternative government with a manpower of 63, and will do so through a vote of no-confidence if he does not officially resign,” he said.
Marape said in the event that O’Neill resigned, they would have to elect a new prime minister in Parliament.
“Either way, the Laguna Camp with 63 MPs will be the one to form the new government,” he said.