Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa has praised Gulf Governor Sir Chris Haiveta for his decision to leave Prime Minister James Marape's government and join the Opposition. Tomuriesa commended the move, acknowledging the deep ties Sir Chris has with the ruling PANGU Pati but noting that political loyalty should not come at the cost of the nation’s wellbeing. “On behalf of the Opposition, I officially welcome Sir Chris to the Opposition and acknowledge his steadfast commitment in supporting a greater cause to collectively save this country,” said Tomuriesa. “Sir Chris brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and capability to the Opposition, and we look forward to consulting him on solutions needed to fix this country in the coming weeks before Parliament.” Tomuriesa noted that Sir Chris’s departure from PANGU was a significant decision. “It is never easy for a member of parliament to switch political affiliations, and Sir Chris is a testament to that,” he said. “With a very respectable position as a senior PANGU Pati leader and senior governor in government, Sir Chris had much to consider before making his decision.” According to Tomuriesa, Sir Chris left the government due to growing concerns about Marape's leadership. “As he outlined, the country is in a very difficult position because of the failing leadership of Prime Minister James Marape." " I know many parliamentarians are making tough and thoughtful decisions on what they should do,” he said. Tomuriesa urged other MPs to follow Sir Chris’s lead, calling on them to prioritize the country over personal political comfort. “My message to MPs in government who are sitting on the fence is to consider the country and not the comforts of politics,” he said. “Us MPs will come and go, but the country will always be here." "It is our decision to stand up for change that will save this country.” He further emphasized that Sir Chris's defection sends a strong message. “If a senior leader like Sir Chris, a man who has experienced the politics of the ’90s and 2000s and is a former deputy prime minister, can see that things are not well, then there is no excuse for us all to assess our political convictions and make a stand for this country.” Joining in support of Sir Chris, Abau MP Sir Puka Temu also welcomed his decision to switch sides. Sir Puka, along with MPs Kerenga Kua and Peter O'Neill, officially welcomed Sir Chris on behalf of the 33 leaders in the Opposition. “I am encouraged that Sir Chris made the bold decision to resign from government, especially when his leadership provided a lot of credibility and stewardship to the PANGU caucus,” Sir Puka said. “He has demonstrated a lot of patience and optimism to support the Prime Minister, but as many of us have come to realize, that support can only go so far when the country continues to suffer because of incompetence.” Sir Puka agreed with Sir Chris’s reasons for leaving the government, pointing to a range of failures under Marape’s leadership. “The catalogue of Marape's failures he highlighted are explicit and are directly the reason why the country's leadership has become complacent and stagnant,” Sir Puka said, citing unaccounted COVID-19 funds, the lack of an APEC 2018 expenditure report, issues with landowner rights in the PNGLNG project, and questionable multi-million kina deals. Sir Puka concluded by noting the significance of Sir Chris’s defection. “Sir Chris is a PANGU man and has a longstanding connection to the party from his days as party leader. It is not an easy decision to leave a government that is led by your party, but evidently, there is much to be desired from the Prime Minister's leadership.” In response to Sir Chris’s departure, Prime Minister James Marape acknowledged the Gulf Governor’s right to change political affiliations but urged him to be transparent about his reasons. “He knows the vote-of-no-confidence is on, so he should get real, and tell us the real reason why he is leaving Government and joining Opposition than hiding behind the age-old issues of equal distribution of resources,” Marape said. Nonetheless, Marape expressed respect for Sir Chris’s extensive experience and affirmed his right to make independent decisions.