The People’s National Congress (PNC) government coalition is confident they will defeat the Vote of No Confidence tomorrow.
The government team showed a united front less than a day before the special parliament session tomorrow, as leaders of coalition parties reaffirmed their commitment to PNC and Peter O’Neill as Prime Minister.
“All the other parties that have been the core of our coalition remain, because we believe in the same principles, same policies that we started out with in 2012,” said Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.
For the past week, the town that hosted the formation of government after the 2012 general election, was once again the host of the government coalition prior to the 2016 Vote of No Confidence.
After a week of deliberations reviewing the Alotau Accord, coalition partners remained behind closed doors for the most part of this morning.
At the end of their final meeting, coalition partners were quick to show their solidarity by defending the allegations against Prime Minister O’Neill.
“We like to operate on proven facts. And even our Prime Minister is innocent, until he is found guilty, like all of us. So that is something that most of our people seem to forget. They quickly and conveniently play politics. In the end, we will demonstrate that we are a government of the people, and we’ll prove it tomorrow,” said Public Enterprise and State Investments Minister, William Duma.
“It’s important that we assess governments and leadership based on performance, and their programs and deliverables. Not on personality. We have been doing that for the last 40 years,” said National Capital District Governor, Powes Parkop.
From the comments of senior coalition members, they say they not only have the numbers to defeat the no confidence vote tomorrow, but they have the reasons as well.
“We are here for a purpose and that purpose is to demonstrate unity amongst the coalition partners that we had since day one, when we formulated the policies that are now being implemented by the government,” said Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Leo Dion.
“Speaking as leader of National Alliance, we are here as a party, to ensure that the gains achieved in the past are protected. We need to protect the gains, and ensure that the government is committed to implementing the program which it set out and is captured in the Alotau Accord.
“So we will be there on Friday on the floor of parliament to ensure that the vote of no confidence is defeated. So that our government can continue to roll out its programs,” Said Treasury Minister, Patrick Pruaitch.
“We are very confident of the way we’ve been able to bond together to ensure stability, ensure delivery of programs and to protect this government. So we are looking forward to being in parliament tomorrow so we can get on with the usual business of delivery of government agenda in the lead up to 2017,” said Foreign Affairs Minister, Rimbink Pato.
“As for me being in parliament for 20 years, I’m about serving my people’s interest. I’m about seeing changes. And in the 16 years I was in parliament, I have not actually delivered to the people. Within the short time that I’ve been with the honourable prime minister, he has delivered for the people of Enga, and I know he’s delivered for the rest of Papua New Guinea. So there is no need for any alternate prime minister. Or any vote of no confidence,” said Enga Provincial Governor, Sir Peter Ipatas.
As for Prime Minister O’Neill, he is confident he will be able to retain those numbers on the floor tomorrow.
“The coalition is intact, we have got 80 members here in Alotau, and we’ve got five members already in Port Moresby waiting for us to join them. Our numbers will exceed 85 when we go into parliament,” he said.
