Polye stays away

 By MALUM NALU

FORMER Cabinet Minister Don Polye stayed away from Parliament yesterday in protest over a new seating arrangement which placed him on the Oppositionbenches.

The other notable absentee was Mt Hagen MP William Duma who, like Polye, was also recently sacked by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill from Cabinet. Polye was sacked as Treasury Minister and Duma as Petroleum and Energy Minister.

Duma could not be reached for a comment. But a spokesman for Polye, the leader of the Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party which is a major coalition partner in the O’Neill Government, described the new seating arrangement as humiliating for Polye who was a parliamentary party leader and a chief of the Kandep people in Enga.

“The seating arrangement made by the Speaker of Parliament in which the Kandep MP and parliamentary leader of THE Party Don Polye was forced to sit in the Opposition benches, is also untraditional in parliamentary democracy,” the spokesman said.

“THE Party is an integral part of the Government and we are committed to the aspirations of the Alotau Accord.”

An official of O’Neill’s People’s National Congress Party said after a caucus meeting on Monday a motion would be moved to remove Polye from Government because of his constant criticisms of State policies.

“Polye had breached Cabinet confidentiality and government protocol with his public outbursts,” the PNC party official said.

But Polye’s spokesman last night challenged the Government to sack the entire THE Party from government instead of just Polye.

“The Government should not dictate to the Speaker on the seating arrangement in Parliament. It is undemocratic for the Government to dictate to the Speaker,” he said.

Changes to the seating arrangements were obvious when Parliament began the May session yesterday afternoon.

No announcement however was made of the new seating arrangements or that Polye would be sitting with the Opposition.