GOVERNMENT IN TURMOIL

SOUTH PACIFIC POST

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday axed his “close friend” Don Polye from the job of deputy Prime Minister and appointed another Engan MP and Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal as the new DPM.
While Minister Polye still maintains his Works, Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry, his removal as DPM is expected to spark a revolt from within the Highlands bloc of the National Alliance Party who claimed last night that the PM acted in breach of the party constitution which says the job of Deputy PM should be given to one of the four regional parliamentary leaders.

Mr Abal is not a regional leader of the Highlands bloc and is therefore not a heir-apparent of the deputy PM’s job. Sir Michael’s axe also fell on Attorney-General and Member for Rigo Mr Ano Pala who was replaced by the Governor of Madang and former Chief Justice Sir Anorld Amet. Sir Arnold flew to Kokopo yesterday on the government-owned falcon jet where he was sworn in by the Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane who is on holiday in his home province.

Agriculture Minister John Hickey who had not been well lately had also been removed and his replacement is not yet known at this stage. It is not known exactly why Mr Polye had been removed. Earlier in the week, the Kandep MP said he had cut-short his electoral visit to be with the Prime Minister and support him after this newspaper broke the news of Sir Michael’s likely referral to a leadership tribunal. Mr Polye claimed he was a “close friend” of Sir Michael.
Yesterday this newspaper exclusively reported again that the Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamati will be making a decision on the fate of the Prime Minister before the week’s end. If he refers the Prime Minister to the Chief Justice to appoint a Leadership Tribunal, Sir Michael will step down from office and allow his new deputy and Member for Wabag to become the Acting Prime Minister. Insiders also were of the view that Mr Polye was “most probably not ready yet” to be acting PM and therefore the Prime Minister acted responsibly to handover the reigns to a more mature and stable Mr Abal – a former foreign service officer and son of pre-independence political arch-rival of Somare, the late Sir Tei Abal. In the case of Mr Pala’s demise from the job of being the country’s top legal adviser, it comes after this newspaper’s exclusive coverage yesterday of the K15.5m payment to Madang businessman Mr Peter Yama.

Finance Secretary Mr Gabriel Yer wrote in his letter of explanation to the government that he was powerless to stop the payment as a “compromise” had been reached between the Attorney-General, Solicitor General, Deputy Solicitor General and Mr Yama. Mr Yer had also prepared a report on the payment to the Prime Minister.

Last night it was learnt that, the Bank of PNG was unable to put a stop payment order on the cheque that was paid to Mr Yama on November 17 and is currently held in his lawyer’s trust account.

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