“There is no vacancy in the office of the opposition leader” - NAMAH

“There is no vacancy in the office of the opposition leader,” Papua New Guinea Opposition Leader, Vanimo-Green MP & L eader of PNG Party, Hon. Belden Norman Namah said yesterday at midday on Friday the 28th of November, 2014.

Whilst Opposition Leader Hon. Belden Namah was absent from parliament and on bed rest because of a ‘terrible migraine’, Kandep MP Don Polye who crossed over to the opposition benches only last week Tuesday called a caucus meeting without the consent of the Opposition Leader Hon. Belden Namah and proceeded on Thursday the 27th of November to have himself elected as Opposition Leader in what can be described as a ‘terrible farce’ and a power-hungry, power-grabbing & power-grubbing ploy perhaps to try and pull a coup within the Opposition.

Political insiders see Polye’s move as premature (too soon and too fast) and possibly deliberately designed by Namah’s political opponents to cause division and disharmony within the Opposition team, particularly because Don Polye has been informed before in no uncertain terms – before the last parliamentary sitting – there is NO VACANCY.

The presence of Polye’s supporters who reportedly filled the foyer in front of the parliament conference room, where they reportedly held the caucus meeting late on Thursday afternoon (not Thursday night as misreported elsewhere on social media) before they went up to the Speakers office reportedly on Thursday afternoon, raised concern among parliament staff.

A certain senior journalist with the National newspaper was also present during the gathering however no report appeared in Friday’s paper - possibly because it is believed that the Speaker did NOT formally recognize Don Polye as Opposition Leader before the Speaker reportedly flew to his home province on Friday morning after the house rose on Thursday and adjourned to February next year.

The journalist present reportedly said ‘Speaker did acknowledge that they have the numbers but nothing official’ and as of Friday afternoon the mai n Opposition office in parliament had not received any formal advice from the Speaker about the Caucus meeting (called without the consent of the Opposition Leader) and IF Polye was formally recognized by the Speaker as the new Leader of the Opposition despite the fact that due process was not followed.

Key Opposition member & Shadow Minister for Justice, Dr Allan Marat wasn't present in parliament on Thursday either to prevent or witness the ‘terrible farce’ which was carried out without any regard to due process and without any courtesy extended to the Opposition Leader and his support staff. Dr Allan Marat is understood to have returned to his Rabaul electorate prior to the meeting improperly held by Don Polye on Thursday without the consent of the Opposition Le ader. Caucus was reportedly called on Wednesday and the meeting was reportedly later held late Thursday afternoon. By convention the incumbent Opposition Leader should be the one calling the caucus.

However, Deputy Opposition Leader & Bulolo MP Sam Basil was present and although it was claimed (maybe incorrectly) that Sam Basil ‘did not vote or sign anything’, and that he “tried to talk them out of it”, it seems that Sam Basil supported the ill-advised move made against Belden Namah - because the next day he went on air over FM100 Talkback with Don Polye. In an interview broadcast live, during which Don Polye deflected questions about the leadership of the Opposition and did not take the opportunity to publicly announce that he had organized a meeting the previ ous day to have himself elected as Opposition Leader.

We should hope however that Sam Basil did not support the move made by Don Polye because if the Deputy Opposition Leader did do so, then in our opinion it would be a total sell-out and also a total cop-out especially because supporting Don Polye’s bid to challenge Belden Namah’s leadership is no guarantee that Sam Basil gets to retain his position as Deputy Opposition Leader in future, anyway - simply because Polye has the numbers on his side. Maybe Sam Basil’s current position is the incentive and real reason why Julie Soso the Governor of Eastern Highlands crossed over to the Opposition Benches. At the very least it seems Sam Basil also has until next February to retain his current leadership position.

Opposition Leader Belden Namah, who was absent from parliament since Wednesday because of a terrible migraine, was reportedly ‘calm’ about the situation when his support staff visited him at his Gordons 5 residence on Thursday. However early on Thursday afternoon before 1.30 pm, the Opposition Leader did express concern that Don Polye is ‘trying to challenge’ his leadership. The Opposition Leader expressed concern especially because it seems Don Polye has forgotten that he, Marape and PO are all alleged accomplices in the PARAKAGATE saga.

Until such a time if any that Polye clears his name in the Parakagate saga, quite simply he is not a fit and proper person to physically occupy the Office of the Opposition Leader and he will never be allowed to physically occupy it by Belden Namah without a fight even if it means going to court. The Office of the Opposition Leader belongs to more than 7.3 million Papua New Guineans and all right-minded people can rest assured that Belden Namah will protect it on their behalf and will ensure that adherence to due process is followed in any possible future re-attempt by any power-hungry, power-grabbing & power- grubbing politician to try and remove him as the Leader of the Opposition.

Don Polye can claim through mainstream media and also social media that he is now the Opposition Leader but as far as we are concerned he is a power hungry imposter and until the courts or the Speaker decides otherwise on the floor of parliament when parliament reconvenes in February next year, Belden Namah is and will remain the LEGITIMATE Leader of the PNG Opposition.

A loyal, trusted hard working Opposition staffer said “After all the fight he put in for the nation and then these people come and try to bulldoze their agenda. We were upset with them for doing that to leader. Of course they have the numbers but at least have the courtesy of following due process.” “They can’t bully their way in”, I stated. In response the Opposition staffer said “They're crazy, they probably thought they could bully us into moving out. We'll be ok OL will hold this office til God says otherwise.”

PRESS STATEMENT

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