Dion out, Micah in as Deputy PM?

New People’s Progress Party leader Ben Micah is tipped to be Papua New Guinea’s new Deputy Prime Minister in a major cabinet reshuffle expected to take place this month, reports The National newspaper.

Micah, the Public Enterprises and State Investments Minister, is leading a three-way race to replace Leo Dion, the deputy parliamentary leader of the embattled Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party.

The other contenders are Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch and Fisheries Minister Mao Zeming.

Pruaitch is the parliamentary leader of the National Alliance Party. Zeming is deputy parliamentary leader of the People’s National Congress Party.

A well-placed coalition source told The National that Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was expected to make major changes to his team on his return from the Australia-Papua New Business Forum in Cairns.

The source said O’Neill was expected to replace ministers who were considered “fence-sitters” and would reduce the size of the coalition numbers to between 55 and 65 MPs.

He said O’Neill had delayed the reshuffle because of a leadership tussle within coalition partner PPP.

“The issue has now been resolved with the election of Micah as new parliamentary leader, replacing New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan,” the source said.

“As PPP leader, Micah is now in a better position to vie for the DPM’s post and is favoured over Pruaitch and Zeming.”

He said Micah’s long association with O’Neill, including his role as the PM’s chief of staff before the 2012 elections, placed him in a strong position to win his vote of confidence.

He said Micah was from the New Guinea Islands, like Dion, and his party was pushing for the DPM’s position to remain in that region.

Micah is currently in his Kavieng electorate undergoing a ritual to install him as a traditional chief.

However it is understood the O’Neill’s own party members want Zeming to take over the position because the party had missed out on the Treasury ministry which was handed to Pruaitch after THE Party leader Don Polye was sacked.

The source said PNC believed Zeming was well qualified for the position, being an experienced MP who had previously served as deputy to former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta.

He added that Zeming was from the Momase region and his appointment would be considered justified because Prime Minister O’Neill was from the Highlands region and Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio was from the New Guinea Islands.

The source said NA was lobbying for its leader Pruaitch to become O’Neill’s deputy.

Appears to be in the works; several people have resigned from THE Party and it looks like several others will follow this week.

Three Parliament Ministers and a Founding Father of the Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party have resigned from T.H.E. party.

This comes after the four members signed their resignation letters, which is effective as of today.

This was announced by the four members in a Press Conference at the PNG Forest Headquarters in Port Moresby.

The members are Forest Minister, Douglas Tomuriesa, Higher Education Minister Delilah Gore, Benjamin Poponawa Minster for Labor and Industrial Relations, and David Arore, Member for Ijivitari.

They clearly stated that it was not a collective decision and not based on the rumours published on the front page of today’s National Newspaper. The four said their move to stand down from THE party was in the interest of their people.

They said they all support the O’ Neill/Dion government’s initiative to deliver basic services right down to the district levels. They claim their move is a maturity in leadership and a clear example is the presence of both the sacked and current Higher Education Ministers.

Arore said, as a founder of THE party, it was a painful decision he made but said, he was mandated by his people and he want to be part of the government so he can deliver services to them.

They said, they have no grudge against THE Party Leader Patrick Pruaitch and the Office of Political Parties is fully aware of their move. The four said, they will be announcing their move into other political parties at an appropriate time.

They also said other members of THE will also be resigning later in the week. "

"Prime Minister Peter O’Neill today stood firm for his deputy, East New Britain’s Leo Dion.

Hours after The National newspaper had a front page speculation that Deputy Prime Minister Dion was to be dumped, Mr O’Neill made a promise:

“Dion will be Deputy Prime Minister for the full term of this government.’’

He blasted the speculation on the streets which he said had found its way onto “the front pages of respectable newspapers’’.

The Prime Minister promised Mr Dion would stay on as his deputy and that there would be no reshuffle from now until the 2017 election.

He praised Mr Dion’s leadership and said: “Leo Dion is a very experienced politician. His mature and stable approach to national politics anchors a very strong and progressive government that is working for the people.

“When he accepted the challenge to become Deputy Prime Minister after the general elections in 2012, I was delighted to have such a mature and experienced hand guiding and advising us in Cabinet and as a government. That position is not about to change. Dion will be Deputy Prime Minister for the full term of this government.

“There have been a lot of speculations and rumours in the media and on the streets, about Dion and THE Party being sacked, and major changes being made to Cabinet.

“The chief aim of such speculations and rumours is to create instability, anxiety and uncertainty. They are false and unscrupulous, yet they find their way to the front pages of respectable newspapers.

“Let me be clear and concise here so there can be no more doubts: the government is intact; Dion’s position as Deputy Prime Minister remains intact; and there will be NO MORE reshuffle to Cabinet until the term of this government ends in 2017,” the Prime Minister said.

“I have total confidence in our coalition partners and their commitment to stability, progress and the delivery of our development agenda.

“There have been some issues with THE Party since my decision to decommission its leader Don Polye as Treasurer. Those issues are internal matters for THE Party to deal with, and move forward,” the Prime Minister said.

“THE Party is an integral part of our coalition government, and we remain committed to the Alotau Accord,” he said"