Prime Minister (PM) James Marape has called on the Opposition to stop misleading the public and inciting anxiety among the people after accusing them of creating dissent regarding the vote-of-no confidence motion.
“It is very irresponsible of the Opposition MPs or the so-called Alternate Government to be contesting issues concerning their vote-of-no-confidence motion in the public space, which the Parliament Private Business Committee has deemed to be flawed and does not qualify to be listed on Parliament notice,” Marape stated.
He made this statement in response to the Opposition’s announcement, revealing their decision to forego challenging the actions of the Private Business Committee in court.
Marape had earlier welcomed the Opposition’s plan to bring to court their grievances with the Private Business Committee’s decisions, but was surprised that they now are saying that they will not go to court but wait for Parliament to resume to mount another challenge.
“Their decision to challenge Government is within their constitutional rights but it is becoming apparent that a big part of their political strategies involves the use of social media or mainstream media outlets, to cause public confusion, apprehension and tension,” the PM said.
“After Parliament was adjourned to May, the Opposition claimed they would challenge the Private Business Committee’s actions in court.”
“They have every right to do so; however, their recent declaration of abandoning the legal challenge in favor of waiting for the May sitting of Parliament, primarily leveraging social media for dissent, merely breeds confusion,” added the PM.
The prime minister further highlighted the inconsistency in the Opposition’s actions, implying a lack of confidence in their legal stance.
Marape noted that during the February Parliament session, the Opposition failed to demonstrate significant support, notably during the vote to declare PNG a Christian country, where they could not muster more than 14 members against the government’s overwhelming majority.
He is now appealing to the public to recognize the Opposition’s tactics as an attempt to incite dissent, potentially leading to unrest, and he criticized certain media outlets for supporting these divisive strategies, and urged the Opposition to engage in constructive political debate and leadership.
Nevertheless, PM Marape reassures the nation that the government remains unshaken by the vote of-no-confidence motion.
He emphasized adherence to due process and proper procedure as outlined by the Constitution, Standing Orders and Supreme Court rulings, and condemns any further attempts to undermine these processes through improper submissions or without full consent in procuring support for the motion, as any such actions would be scrutinized by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.
Ends//EM