PRESS STATEMENT
Tuesday 11 June 2024
For Immediate Release – Finschhafen MP and Alternative Prime Minister nominee Hon. Rainbo Paita has expressed his disappointment in Prime Minister James Marape over what he described as “blatant misstatements” and a “poor choice of words” by Mr Marape in reference to the recent PANGU Pati caucus meeting.
In response to Mr Marape’s media statement on Sunday June 9, 2024, Mr Paita corrected the Prime Minister on several misleading points expressed in the statement, and again defended the decision of the 12 MPs, which includes him, to leave not PANGU Pati, but the Party Leader Marape.
Mr Paita said: “Mr Marape proudly stated that the party unanimously voted to maintain his position as party leader, and maintain the position of the deputy party leader, but I place on record that we, the PANGU MPs who have challenged Marape’s leadership, were NOT given an opportunity to vote on this matter.
“At the time of the meeting, we were still PANGU Pati MPs and should have been accorded our right to vote in such an important meeting, so our votes, and dissent, were formally registered. Unfortunately, we were denied this right as party members.
“Mr Marape is misleading the public to suggest he received full support from all PANGU members.
“He certainly did not. We firmly stated our disappointment and disappointment with Marape’s many failures as party leader and Prime Minister.”
Mr Paita took issue with Mr Marape describing him and the 11 MPs who left PANGU as ‘renegades’ and expressed his disappointment with the PM using such a label as there was a time when he also left the PNC Party and the government.
Mr Paita added: “Apart from the late Sam Basil and the late William Samb, I was the only consistent member of PANGU since its resurrection by the two leaders. Even before entering parliament in 2017, I was a PANGU man, and I have been a PANGU man until now.
“Reading the PM describe my colleagues and I as ‘renegade’ is disappointing. Even in 2019 when six other PANGU MPs and I left government and moved to Laguna to support Mr Marape to become the PM, late Sam Basil never described our decision as ‘renegade’ but respected our decisions.
“Mr Marape says one thing one day, and a different thing on another day. First, he says he respects our decision as MPs and leaders, then he turns around and uses derogatory terms such as “renegades” to try and humiliate us. This is just like his leadership, it’s just one thing one day, and a different thing another day, but never a decision to actually do something.
“In 2019, we left the government based on our conviction to support him to become PM. At that time, the PM as Member for Tari Pori welcomed us and said it was patriotic and for the best interest of the country but now saying we’re renegades but as some say – statements of convictions for some people are relative to where they stand.
“The country needs a hard reset; it needs a national coalition of not just MPs in the opposition, but in government as well – to come together and form a union to solve our nation’s critical problems now.
“Our problems are so serious we must put petty political differences to one side and focus on solving our country’s crises, because that is what we have been elected to do.
“I am called a renegade with few of our brothers and sister who left the government for our individual convictions, we did not desert the country. We just do not accept Marape’s failed leadership. I personally don’t mind being called a renegade when it’s for the right reasons.”
Contrary to the statement made by Mr Marape, Mr Paita made it clear that seven days’ notice of termination of party membership, as required under PANGU rules, was not given to the MPs who stood up and challenged Marape.
“We did not go to the caucus to plead to stay in the party. I led my team to tell the PM the exact reasons why we left the government, and why we did what we did. The things I said in that caucus meeting is privy to that Party caucus meeting and will not be disclosed in public unless by the Party Leader himself.
“We simply told the caucus why we made our decision and that we were ready to face the consequences of making that decision,” Mr Paita.
Mr Paita maintained that the party meeting was flawed because we were not permitted to be present in the whole meeting, and we were denied our right to vote.”
Mr Paita said: “Yes, PANGU is bigger than all of us, but PANGU today is not upholding the principles it was founded on.
“When Marape stated that he put his leadership on the PANGU TABLE and all 46 MPs decided there was no vacancy and he was re-elected, I challenge Mr Marape to use that same spirit of leadership and allow through the PBC, which is dominated by Pangu MPs, to approve the Notice of Motion of No Confidence and let Parliament decide.”
“If Mr Marape is confident of his support as PM, then he should have no issue having his leadership debated by all MPs.
“However, by allowing the PBC to find any minor and parochial defect they can think of to reject the Notice of Motion tells the nation, and the world, he is not confident, and is doing everything he can to avoid the debate about his leadership.
“He should advise the Private Business Committee, which is packed by PANGU MPs to stop being microscopic with the Notice of Motion of No Confidence and allow it to reach the floor so the house can decide.”
Mr Paita concluded that its evident the undercurrents of politics are now turning the tide and the Prime Minister himself does not have the confidence in his own numbers.
“It was sad to see when the Speaker moved to put the Motion on the Notice Paper, no one but the PM himself rose to call a dissension, and no one seconded it, as is required under the rules. The matter will now have to be decided in the courts, instead of Parliament, where it should be.
“Trust holds governments together, not promises and plays.
“God bless our efforts to serve his people,” Mr Paita said.
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
HON. RAINBO PAITA, MP
Member for Finschhafen | Alternative Prime Minister Nominee
#SAVEPNG
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