As the Marape-Rosso Coalition Government today expressed enthusiasm over the return of another politician, Pomio MP Elias Kapavore, from the Opposition side, a few hours later, newly reinstated Madang MP Bryan Kramer announced his resignation the government as Parliament is set to resume this month, with a Vote of No Confidence on the agenda.
A confident Prime Minister James Marape told local media today that he expects movements from both sides during this time, before Parliament sits on Tuesday, September 3rd.
As for Kramer, on 22 August 2024, the National Court in Waigani reinstated his as Member for Madang Open Electorate following a ruling in his favour.
This decision stays his Leadership Tribunal suspension and dismissal until judicial review proceedings are concluded.
Following the decision, Kramer had stated that he is now focused on addressing local challenges and resuming his duties after nearly two years out of office.
But today, September 1st, Kramer announced his resignation from the Marape-Rosso Coalition government, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister James Marape and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso for the opportunity to serve under their leadership.
“This decision was not made lightly,” he stated.
According to a statement, released from the Opposition this afternoon, Kramer said he initially supported Marape in 2019 due to Marape’s strong Christian faith.
However, after reflecting on the current state of the nation, Kramer decided to resign “with a heavy heart but a clear conscience.”
Upon returning to office after two years, he observed the severe challenges facing Papua New Guinea.
During his time in government, Kramer held several ministerial positions under different administrations, including Minister for Police, Minister for Justice & Attorney General, and Minister for Immigration & Labour.
These roles provided him with deep insights into the workings of the National Executive Council (NEC) and government machinery.
Kramer emphasized that “transparency and good governance must be the cornerstones of our efforts to rebuild our nation,” and stressed the importance of standing firmly against corruption.
He added he believes corruption has become deeply entrenched in government, normalizing unethical behaviour after 49 years of independence.
Kramer revealed that he spent much of his time in the NEC fighting to block “countless harmful submissions” that were allegedly being pushed on the Prime Minister, who he said was unable to risk losing coalition numbers in the cabinet.
Kramer said he believes these factions were responsible for his frequent reassignment from ministry to ministry and his eventual exclusion from the cabinet.
Kramer also expressed regret that his removal from the cabinet has hindered his ability to combat poor decisions from within the government, leading to the “widespread misuse of public funds with impunity.”
He warned that this situation is placing the nation at risk.
He called on the Prime Minister and fellow Members of Parliament to prioritize the people’s interests, cautioning that continued degradation of the nation’s well-being would jeopardize the country’s future.
“Our faith should compel us to do what is right, not merely to survive politically,” Kramer urged.
Kramer reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption and ensuring that all Papua New Guineans have access to essential services.
He pledged to continue this fight from outside the government with integrity, as expected by the people of Madang and Papua New Guinea.
Simply put, Kramer states he no longer has confidence in Prime Minister James Marape’s leadership.