MARCH 31 2022
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape says he did not run away from electoral duties as claimed by the Post-Courier.
He said this in response to a scathing editorial attack on his State Visit to Indonesia by the Post-Courier.
PM Marape said the visit was long planned for, and what happened in his Tari-Pori Electorate the night before the Indonesia visit, was coincidental.
He said for the “once-respected newspaper” to liken him to Roman Emperor Nero showed how low the Post-Courier had stooped to.
“The Post-Courier of today is nowhere like in the past where it had respected editors like Luke Sela, Oseah Philemon and the likes and equally-distinguished reporters,” PM Marape said.
“The people of PNG yearn for the once-great newspaper of old.
“I do not dictate the newspapers nor give inducements to reporters and editors, like my predecessor Peter O’Neill was known for.
” I did not run away from responsibilities, far from it.
“Police, and other agencies of Government, have been tasked to handle Tari-Pori and other national issues.
“Tari is not burning, as this Post-Courier claims.
” Three police houses were torched due to a tribal conflict that had police caught in the crossfire.
“I may be MP for Tari-Pori, but I am Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, I have a country to run.
” I will not be localised to an event caused by tribal feuds that Governor Hon. Philip Undialu and I have been trying to resolve for the last year.
“It was unfortunate that this incident happened on the eve of elections.
” The energy Post-Courier puts into criticising Tari-Pori and me should be also put into many good things that are happening there outside of this spur of violence and arson.
“The narrow-minded Post-Courier editorial is so fixated on stereotypes that it cannot distinguish between national interests first as Prime Minister, and local interests second as MP of a particular area.”
On Post-Courier’s claims that the Indonesia trip was a” junket”, PM Marape said the number of agreements signed today disproved that.
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