Tkatchenko pledges to support Marape, govt

MORESBY South MP Justin Tkatchenko, a member of the People’s National Congress (PNC) Party, says he will support Prime Minister James Marape and his coalition government.
“I (had) made a solid commitment from day one to support Hon James Marape as prime minister, and that has not changed at all,” he said.
Marape recently made it clear that the PNC was no longer part of his coalition government but party members already holding Cabinet portfolio could remain if they wished to.
Tkatchenko, appointed by Marape as the Housing and Urban Development Minister, is one of the seven PNC party members holding Cabinet positions. The others are Works and Implementation Minister Michael Nali, Health Minister Elias Kapavore, Public Service Minister Westly Nukundj, Labour and Industrial Relations Minister Alfred Manase, Border and Immigration Minister Petrus Thomas and Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Nick Kuman.
Tkatchenko said he had made his position clear at the outset when he moved to support Marape that he would support him.
Nali when contacted said he was yet to make up his mind and would make his decision known after consulting his supporters. The others declined to comment.
PNC parliamentary party leader Peter O’Neill declined to comment when asked about his position and of his party.
He said he would either move to the Opposition or remain in the middle benches.