PM APPOINTS SON AS FINANCE MINISTER
NATIONAL REPORTS PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has appointed his son Angoram MP Arthur Somare the acting Finance and Treasury Minister. Government insiders told The National the prime minister signed the instrument for the appointment of Somare last Friday, and a public announcement on this change is expected this week. This portfolio became vacant after incumbent Patrick Pruaitch was suspended from office because of his referral to a leadership tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office. Pruatich is challenging his referral in court, and the case is pending. There has been a lot of jostling and lobbying for this job since Pruaitch vacated it, and a number of ministers and backbenchers were hoping the job would go to them. But, insiders said, the job had to remain in the Momase region under the Kokopo Agreement that the National Alliance and its coalition partners agreed to after the general elections. “A number of eligible and qualified candidates have missed out, b