The notice of motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister filed by the Alternative Papua New Guinea Government and submitted to the Private Business Committee Wednesday had an error in the requirement under section 145 of the Constitution that the notice must be signed and supported by not less than one-tenth of the total members of Parliament.
Speaker of Parliament and Member for Manus, Job Pomat read out the five requirements of Motion of No-Confidence adapt that the notice must be:
*Expressed to the notice of motion in the name Prime Minister
* State the name of the Alternate Prime Minister
*Name the person and contain the signature of the person moving the motion
*Name the person and contain the signature of the person seconding the motion
*Name the persons and containing the signatures of the persons of the members of the parliament being not less than one-tenth of the total number of the seats in the Parliament
Speaker said following the five requirements of the notice of motion, the committee went through it and saw that from the First to Fourth requirements, the requirements were in Order and the Fifth requirement is out of Order.
Speaker said the committee has found out following a decision made by the supreme court that motion of no confidence and actions of private members’ committee should adapt five technical requirements of the notice.
Speaker said the Supreme Court further interpreted point five saying the notice must have the name of the persons and contain the signatures of not less than one-tenth of the members of Parliament that support the motions which is moved by the mover and seconder.
He added that the total number of seats in the Parliament is 118 and one-tenth is 12.
Pomat said the committee had gone through the motion of 13 – 14 February, 2024 and all have 12 names but the motion for Thursday contains the Mover of the motion, Member for Kiriwina-Goodenough, Douglas Tomuriesa and Seconder of the motion, Member for West New Britain, Sasindran Muthuvel.
He added the 12 persons that support the motion has three names on the first name from number one to three and second page of the motion containing names of persons from Five to 12.
Speaker said the fourth person is missing from the 12 persons that will be supporting the motion.
Pomat said the Committee expressed that this is a constitutional requirement and Supreme Court has clarified it and it must be followed.
He added that Supreme Court further clarified that the notice submitted under standing order 130 is not an ordinary notice of Motion that may be given under any standing orders.
The Constitution’s importance of the notice of Motion of No-Confidence in PM or Minister and special care and accorded to by Parliament and each committee.
The Speaker said the decision of the Committee is clear that the fourth person on the list is missing and it only had the supporting members to only 11.
He said the committee wanted to see the notice of motion prepared quickly and to be dealt with, this is the third notice of motion from the opposing and there are still mistakes.
He added that the Opposition have Wednesday and Thursday to fix the errors and submit the notice of motion to the private committee to be dealt with next Wednesday, 05 June 2024.
Meanwhile, the former national president of the Pangu Party Inc Patrick Pundao has called on the party council to immediately expel Rainbo Paita and the defected team from the Party.
Pundau specially called on General Secretary and President Erigere Singin to take action.
But Pangu Party general secretary Maurice Tovebae said that there was a process to follow and that he had called on Prime Minister James Marape, Paita and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso to come together to find an amicable solution.
“Pangu Party is bigger than anyone person, member of parliament, minister of state, or province.
“Pangu Party belongs to the people of PNG and should not be brought into disrepute or anyone particular province claims to own it,” he said.
Pundao said there is only one Pangu Party Inc. one Pangu Party council, one national convention, one national president, one general secretary and one parliamentary leader and he is James Marape Prime Minister of PNG.
He said after the 2017 national election, Paita influenced the then parliamentary leader late Sam Basil to create Pangu Party 1 and Pangu Pati 2 within the Pangu Party.
The two wings were invisible, but surfaced this month prior to the VONC and he himself claimed to be the leader of Pangu 2.
Pundao said in 2018, he sacked the all 16 Pangu MPs from the party for causing instability insubordination, and the establishment of Pangu 2 which surfaced now and is the cause of the problem to the party.
He said the Pangu Party Council, national president and general secretary were nowhere to be around during this impasse.
The council has the authority and the executive has the power to exercise the party’s mandated powers to disciplined members of the party.
