Finschhafen MP Rainbo Paita, a nominee for Alternative Prime Minister, has openly challenged Prime Minister, and PANGU leader, James Marape's claims of unanimous support within PANGU Pati. Referring to Marape's statement issued on June 9th, 2024, Paita criticized Marape's assertions that all PANGU MPs supported his leadership, noting that he and 11 other MPs who opposed Marape were not given the opportunity to vote during the critical caucus meeting. Paita emphasized that, contrary to Marape's statements, their dissent and right to vote were unjustly ignored, thereby misrepresenting the true level of support Marape has within the party. "Mr Marape proudly stated that the party unanimously voted to maintain his position as party leader, and maintain the position of the deputy party leader, but I place on record that we, the PANGU MPs who have challenged Marape's leadership, were NOT given an opportunity to vote on this matter." "At the time of the meeting, we were still PANGU Pati MPs and should have been accorded our right to vote in such an important meeting, so our votes, and dissent, were formally registered." "Unfortunately, we were denied this right as party members." "Mr Marape is misleading the public to suggest he received full support from all PANGU members." "He certainly did not." "We firmly stated our disappointment and disappointment with Marape's many failures as party leader and Prime Minister.” He expressed his disappointment over being labeled a "renegade" by Marape, recalling that similar actions in the past were respected rather than disparaged, such as when Marape himself left the PNC Party and the government. "Apart from the late Sam Basil and the late William Samb, I was the only consistent member of PANGU since its resurrection by the two leaders." "Even before entering parliament in 2017, I was a PANGU man, and I have been a PANGU man until now." "Reading the PM describe my colleagues and I as 'renegade' is disappointing," Mr Paita said. "Even in 2019 when six other PANGU MPs and I left government and moved to Laguna to support Mr. Marape to become the PM, late Sam Basil never described our decision as 'renegade' but respected our decisions." "Mr. Marape says one thing one day, and a different thing on another day - first, he says he respects our decision as MPs and leaders, then he turns around and uses derogatory terms such as "renegades" to try and humiliate us." "This is just like his leadership, it's just one thing one day, and a different thing another day, but never a decision to actually do something." "In 2019, we left the government based on our conviction to support him to become PM (and) at that time, the PM as Member for Tari Pori welcomed us and said it was patriotic and for the best interest of the country but now saying we're renegades, but as some say - statements of convictions for some people are relative to where they stand." "The country needs a hard reset; it needs a national coalition of not just MPs in the opposition, but in government as well - to come together and form a union to solve our nation's critical problems now." "Our problems are so serious we must put petty political differences to one side and focus on solving our country's crises, because that is what we have been elected to do." "I am called a renegade with few of our brothers and sister who left the government for our individual convictions." "We did not desert the country; we just do not accept Marape's failed leadership." "I personally don’t mind being called a renegade when it's for the right reasons." Contrary to the statement made by Mr. Marape, Mr. Paita made it clear that seven days' notice of termination of party membership, as required under PANGU rules, was not given to the MPs who stood up and challenged Marape. "We did not go to the caucus to plead to stay in the party - I led my team to tell the PM the exact reasons why we left the government, and why we did what we did, (and) the things I said in that caucus meeting is privy to that Party caucus meeting and will not be disclosed in public unless by the Party Leader himself." "We simply told the caucus why we made our decision and that we were ready to face the consequences of making that decision," Mr. Paita clarified. Mr. Paita maintained that the party meeting was flawed because "we were not permitted to be present in the whole meeting, and we were denied our right to vote." "Yes, PANGU is bigger than all of us, but PANGU today is not upholding the principles it was founded on, (and) when Marape stated that he put his leadership on the PANGU table and all 46 MPs decided there was no vacancy and he was re-elected, I challenge Mr. Marape to use that same spirit of leadership and allow through the PBC (Private Business Committee), which is dominated by Pangu MPs, to approve the Notice of Motion of No Confidence and let Parliament decide." "If Mr. Marape is confident of his support as PM, then he should have no issue having his leadership debated by all MPs."