RESHUFFLE IN PNG CABINET. DON POLYE REMOVED & HITLER REACTS

Deputy PM victim of PNG cabinet reshuffle

Ilya Gridneff, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

December 8, 2010

           

AAP

The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare is to face a leadership tribunal for alleged misconduct in office that forces him to stand down as the country's leader.

But Sir Michael, 74, who has survived 40 years in politics, is a wily operator who has navigated out of numerous close shaves and many pundits predict this will not to be his final curtain.

PNG's Public Prosecutor Jim Wala Tamati issued a press release on Wednesday afternoon stating his intention in three days' time to launch a tribunal.

"I inform the PM that I intend to make a request to the Chief Justice to appoint an appropriate Leadership Tribunal into allegations of his misconduct in office," he writes.

The tribunal relates to an Ombudsman Commission inquiry into alleged improprieties regarding his listing of financial statements. Some of the allegations date back 20 years.

Sir Michael has been fighting the allegations in court since 2008, allegations that include he failed to lodge information about his assets, income and business connections, and that he filed late or incompletely.

Sir Michael must step down once referred to a leadership tribunal, which would mean the new deputy PM would become acting prime minister.

But in an unusual twist that sits comfortably within PNG's political landscape, it is unclear exactly who is PNG's deputy PM.

On Wednesday morning PNG media was ablaze with reports of a sudden cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday including the deputy PM position.

But by Wednesday afternoon there were unconfirmed reports indicating the PM's reshuffle had been rescinded and all those in new positions had been reshuffled back to their original portfolios.

Government official Tipo Vuatha told the Post Courier newspaper deputy prime minister Don Polye had been stripped of his title, replaced by former foreign affairs minister Sam Abal.

But Polye told ABC radio on Wednesday he was still the deputy PM.

The Post Courier ran a photograph of Sir Arnold Ahmet being sworn in as the new attorney general by the Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, who was recalled from holidays to officiate.

PNG's PM media spokeswoman Betha Somare, the PM's daughter, has been unable to comment and did not return AAP's numerous calls regarding who was the country's deputy PM.

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