PNG needs stability, says O’Neill

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday July 26th, 2013

 By MALUM NALU

PAPUA New Guinea has had more no-confidence votes over the past 40 years than any other country in the world, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says.

That experience, he told the FM100 Talkback Show on Wednesday, pointed to the urgent need for stability in the country if the Government was to perform.

“Political reforms that need to take place are important for the country’s stability,” O’Neill said.

“The country needs to be stabilised because so many changes at the political level bring about inability of government to perform – this is what we have experienced over the past 40 years.

“We have had more motions of no-confidence than any other country in the world. That just creates an environment of instability.”

O’Neill said people should not think that proposed constitutional changes were the work of a government trying to hold on to power.

“I don’t want people to think that we are trying to consolidate power,” he said.

“Power is vested by the people through their elected representatives in government, in parliament. People must have the final say. The final say is at the elections.

“After the elections, government must be given time and opportunity to perform what they’ve committed to the nation. As a government, we’re doing that now.”