This afternoon (Thursday, June 6th) in Port Moresby, the Opposition, led by Leader Douglas Tomouriesa, held a press conference to address the issues surrounding the recent vote of no confidence (VONC) in Parliament, and announced their intention to seek a court order to recall Parliament immediately to resolve the pending VONC. Tomouriesa expressed his dissatisfaction with the events that transpired in Parliament on Wednesday June 5th, describing them as a "sad moment for Papua New Guinea." He criticized the Speaker's handling of the situation, accusing him of yielding to executive interference and undermining the independence of the legislature. "We personally believe, the opposition believes, that yesterday was a sad moment for Papua New Guinea; a sad moment in that the legislature was supposed to be independent in its decisions that it makes, and we have clearly seen that there was a lot of interference from the executive body of parliament yesterday," Tomouriesa stated. The Opposition leader argued that the Speaker had initially agreed with the points of order raised by several opposition members, yet still made a contradictory decision. This, he claimed, eroded the respect and authority of the Speaker's Chair. "The decorum of Parliament is the responsibility of the speaker; it is the speaker that brings respect, that brings the Chair, the authority of Parliament, the respect of Parliament, and the practice of Parliament lies with the Speaker," Tomouriesa emphasized. Abau MP Sir Puka Temu also elaborated on the constitutional implications, stating that the actions of the Speaker and the government majority on the Private Business Committee effectively defeated Section 145 of the Constitution, which governs motions of no confidence. "Yesterday's show by the private business committee, chaired by the speaker, and the government side showed that Section 145 of the Constitution was defeated yesterday," said Sir Puka. The Opposition highlighted multiple instances where their motions of no confidence were rejected on what they considered trivial grounds. They argued that these rejections were not in line with the constitutional requirements and were indicative of bias within the Private Business Committee, which is dominated by government members. Sir Puka insisted that the committee's decisions on the motions were flawed and that the courts must intervene to ensure the constitutional provision for a VONC is respected. The call for the recall of Parliament is rooted in the Opposition's belief that the Speaker and the Clerk of Parliament are failing to uphold the integrity of parliamentary procedures. Tomouriesa and his colleagues criticized the Clerk for providing misleading advice to the Speaker, which contributed to the rejection of the VONC motions. They said it is important to adhere to the Constitution and maintain the independence of the legislature from the executive. Meanwhile, the Deputy Opposition Leader James Nomane echoed these sentiments, stressing the gravity of the situation and the necessity of adhering to the rule of law. He confirmed that a brief on the Opposition's legal actions would be provided soon, aimed at having Parliament recalled to address the VONC.