Leader of the People’s Progress Party (PPP), Ben Micah, has crossed the floor of parliament and joined the Opposition benches in a highly unanticipated move.
Speaking hours before the Vote of No Confidence motion was announced, Micah said he was not satisfied with how the Prime Minister addressed issues surrounding recent student unrest.
Micah’s PPP have five members who have followed in the party leader’s footsteps and also crossed the floor.
When announcing his move Micah said it was a collective decision by his party members, but not a break from political leadership.
His move came after he appealed to the Prime Minister on Wednesday to discuss with all coalition parties on how they can address the current unrest.
However, he said up until this morning, no meeting had been conducted.
Micah said he does want to see the current situation escalate if the current Prime Minister wins the Vote of No Confidence. His fellow PPP members are Sumkar MP, Ken Fairweather, Namatanai MP, Byron Chan, Kainantu MP, Johnson Tuke, and South Bougainville MP, Timothy Masiu.
Micah said the opposition is in discussion on their plans to address the unrest and restore confidence.
It would be fair to say that this move today was largely unexpected.
Earlier in the week, Micah had pledged support to the PNC led government of Peter O’Neill.
Micah praised his party for providing quality leadership and development opportunities for the country.
