A five men Supreme Court Bench is expected to decide on an application by Attorney-General Pila Niningi to set aside orders for the Opposition’s substantive hearing set for August 1, 2024. In the meantime, Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane has issued a challenge to Prime Minister James Marape and the Pangu-led coalition government to stop using delay tactics and face the vote of no confidence head-on. "If you claim to have the numbers, if you are confident that you're doing the right thing by the country, then why are we playing all these games, and why are we even in court? Test your numbers.” Nomane said this today, Monday, July 29, following the Supreme Court reserving its decision on Wednesday, July 31, whether to set aside orders for the Opposition’s substantive matter scheduled for Thursday, August 1. The Opposition on July 19 had secured directional orders from Justice Derek Hartshorn, sitting as a single Supreme Court judge, that the full hearing on the substantive arguments of the Vote of No Confidence (VONC) application take place on August 1. This follows an application by Attorney-General Pila Niningi, who seeks to overturn the July 19 ruling by Justice Derek Hartshorn. The application by Niningi, also the Justice Minister, and the first intervener in the Opposition’s VONC matter, was heard today, July 29, by a five-man Supreme Court Bench. Both sides presented their arguments, with the Opposition’s lawyer objecting to the application, stating that there are no valid reasons to delay the hearing. Outside the courthouse in Waigani, Nomane, accompanied by several Opposition MPS including Lagaip MP Aimos Akem, Goilala MP Casmiro Aia, Middle Fly MP Maso Hewabi, and Karimui-Nomane MP Francis Alua, reiterated the Opposition's commitment to the case and urged the government to confront the vote of no confidence directly. The outcome of the Supreme Court's decision will determine if the hearing proceeds as scheduled or not.