PM: It’s all systems go

Source:
The National, Monday May 14th 2012

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill says the coalition partners in the government are united as Papua New Guinea prepares for the general election, with the issue of writs scheduled for Friday.
His reassurance, given to his people in Ialibu, Southern Highlands, over the weekend, came on the eve of the last sitting of parliament, which would meet tomorrow to conclude all outstanding government businesses and officially close the House in preparation for the election.
It is understood that he also met his deputy Belden Namah, Speaker Jeffery Nape and other coalition partner leaders yesterday to reaffirm their commitments to next month’s general election.
“There are certain people who are still trying to create instability and portray divisions between the prime minister and his deputy and our major coalition partners,” he said, dispelling rumours of a split within the government coalition and a deferral of the election,” O’Neill said.
“This will not work because we have all agreed, including the deputy prime minister, that the election will go ahead as scheduled.”
Government officials said since the prime minister had maintained his assurance of a June 2012 election, major political parties and others in the government coalition had gone ahead to prepare for this date.
Namah’s PNG Party and Treasurer Don Polye’s Triumph Heritage Empowerment (T.H.E) Party had held their national conventions and confirmed their final list of candidates to contest the polls this year.
O’Neill’s People’s National Congress is finalising its preparations and is expected to announce its final list of candidates next week.
There was widespread speculation last weekend of a planned military coup on the government which was planned two weeks ago but failed because of a lack of support from the security forces.
It also puts to rest unconfirmed reports of a vote of no-confidence and an election deferral.
“The election is a go and the coalition is all in on this,” O’Neill
said.
Addressing complaints of names missing from the common roll, O’Neill said he had asked the electoral commissioner that supplementary rolls be also used in the election.
“The request for supplementary rolls will be to accommodate people whose names are
not on the common roll,” O’Neill said.
“The cycle of this tournament called parliament has come to an end.
“The country must now be returned to the people to decide who the new players will be for the next five years.
“If the law had allowed me to, I will defer the election.
“But nowhere in the Constitution does the law allow the prime minister to defer the election.”