JUNE 21 2022
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has told the people of Ialibu-Pangia that he resigned from the government led by their MP Peter O’Neill in 2019 because he was fed up with O’Neill’s continuous “lies and deceit”.
He said this when campaigning for Pangu Pati candidate, well-known lawyer Stanley Liria, in front of a massive crowd in Pangia today.
Prime Minister urged the people of Ialibu-Pangia to do away with these lies and deceit by voting for someone new in Liria and Pangu.
Liria was runner-up to O’Neill in 2017 and is hoping to turn the tables in 2022.
PM Marape was accompanied by Pangu strongmen in Southern Highlands’ Governor Hon. William Powi, National Planning Minister Hon. Rainbo Paita and Goroka MP Hon. Aiye Tambua.
“People of Ialibu-Pangia, I resigned in 2019 from the O’Neill government, because of his lies and deceit,” he said.
“Lies and deceit at the national level right down to the village level.
“Those of us who are grounded in tradition and Christianity do not engage in deliberate or habitual lies and deceit.
“I resigned individually, not to be Prime Minister, but because of his lies and deceit.
“Fifty-seven (57) days after resigning, by God’s Grace, 101 Members of Parliament voted me in as our country’s eighth Prime Minister.”
PM Marape thanked the people of Ialibu-Pangia for turning up in numbers to hear him speak, just like his people of Tari-Pori, had done to O’Neill last Friday. “
“Our differences are not personal,” he said.
“It is about policies, which direction the country must be heading.
“I was with O’Neill for eight years, and gave him advice after advice, especially on local content matters to empower PNGean businesses and PNGean interests which he failed to heed.
“Unfortunately, for Peter O’Neill, the people and other leaders of Papua New Guinea have lost trust in him.”
PM Marape urged all Papua New Guineans, and the people of Ialibu and Southern Highlands, to pray before they voted in the 2022 elections for insight as to which combination of leaders could serve the country well.
He said history showed that a former PNG prime minister was unlikely to take back the position, like Sir Michael Somare, so the odds were against O’Neill.