12-12-2011, 01:29 PM
Of at least equal importance is the revelation that Sir Michael nearly dies last spring. He's had an aeortal valve problem for many years and had to be flown to Singapore as he was gravely ill. He actually went into heart failure while there. This is why parliament rescinded his leave of absence last Friday. He should have revealed this info when he applied for his LOA; had he done so it never would have been granted. This is the grounds they had to rescind; seems pretty strong. With no approval he would lose his seat, and no one can serve as PM without a seat in parliament. Once again, when the facts come out it appears that O'Neill's appointment is much more solid.:
"Sir Michael had heart problems
By Peter Korugl
GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare had a serious heart problem for 10 to 15 years before he was operated on in Singapore early this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah informed Parliament that Sir Michael had an Aortic Valve disease and he was flown to Singapore on march 29 due to heart failure.
Mr Namah said on April 21, Sir Michael underwent open heart surgery and was put into the Intensive Care Unit and he developed a cardiac arrest on May 4 and had to be resuscitated followed by corrective surgery.
He said on May 11, Sir Michael developed further bleeding and was rushed to the operating theatre and the surgeons had to correct that as well.
The account was given by Mr Namah to Parliament last Friday to show that the former Government tried to hide the facts surrounding the health of Sir Michael and mislead the MPs into agreeing to grant him the leave of absence.
Mr Namah said the startling information pertaining to the health of Sir Michael was revealed during the course of the hearing of the Supreme Court Reference on the legality of the election of Peter O’Neill as Prime Minister, which was not known to the Parliament and the people of PNG.
“According to the Convention of the West Ministerial system of Government, these were more than adequate grounds for the member (Sir Michael) to resign from the Parliament but he did not.
“At no time did the member or National Executive Council and its members inform the Parliament that the member was undergoing a life threatening open heart surgery.
“Here we are not talking about an ordinary member but someone who holds the highest office of the country and his matter is not a matter of secret for the Somare family or the NEC alone,” Mr Namah said. He said no report was tabled in Parliament; his constituents of East Sepik was not informed of the life threatening condition prior to the granting of the leave.
Mr Namah said it was of paramount importance that a MP who was seeking leave of absence must make full and proper disclosure of relevant material in good faith before Parliament grant the leave of absence.
“This was not done in this instance,” he said.
Mr Namah then moved that Parliament rescind its decision to grant leave of absence to Sir Michael on May 17. Parliament voted for the motion.
Meanwhile Sir Michael told AAP yesterday that he was willing to serve as prime minister again, but he said he was unsure if he would run for his East Sepik electorate at the 2012 election.
Sir Michael’s comments came as the Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio signed the instruments dismissing him as MP for East Sepik and the vacancy in the East Sepik Provincial Seat was gazette.
“ I am willing to serve as prime minister again,” the 76-year-old Sir Michael told AAP.
“Although I do not know if I will run for East Sepik again. There is a lot to consider. I cannot believe they have done this to me, after 43 years — 44 next year,” Sir Michael said of the decision by the Parliament to rescind its decision to grant him leave of absence."
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20111212/news03.htm
"Sir Michael had heart problems
By Peter Korugl
GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare had a serious heart problem for 10 to 15 years before he was operated on in Singapore early this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah informed Parliament that Sir Michael had an Aortic Valve disease and he was flown to Singapore on march 29 due to heart failure.
Mr Namah said on April 21, Sir Michael underwent open heart surgery and was put into the Intensive Care Unit and he developed a cardiac arrest on May 4 and had to be resuscitated followed by corrective surgery.
He said on May 11, Sir Michael developed further bleeding and was rushed to the operating theatre and the surgeons had to correct that as well.
The account was given by Mr Namah to Parliament last Friday to show that the former Government tried to hide the facts surrounding the health of Sir Michael and mislead the MPs into agreeing to grant him the leave of absence.
Mr Namah said the startling information pertaining to the health of Sir Michael was revealed during the course of the hearing of the Supreme Court Reference on the legality of the election of Peter O’Neill as Prime Minister, which was not known to the Parliament and the people of PNG.
“According to the Convention of the West Ministerial system of Government, these were more than adequate grounds for the member (Sir Michael) to resign from the Parliament but he did not.
“At no time did the member or National Executive Council and its members inform the Parliament that the member was undergoing a life threatening open heart surgery.
“Here we are not talking about an ordinary member but someone who holds the highest office of the country and his matter is not a matter of secret for the Somare family or the NEC alone,” Mr Namah said. He said no report was tabled in Parliament; his constituents of East Sepik was not informed of the life threatening condition prior to the granting of the leave.
Mr Namah said it was of paramount importance that a MP who was seeking leave of absence must make full and proper disclosure of relevant material in good faith before Parliament grant the leave of absence.
“This was not done in this instance,” he said.
Mr Namah then moved that Parliament rescind its decision to grant leave of absence to Sir Michael on May 17. Parliament voted for the motion.
Meanwhile Sir Michael told AAP yesterday that he was willing to serve as prime minister again, but he said he was unsure if he would run for his East Sepik electorate at the 2012 election.
Sir Michael’s comments came as the Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio signed the instruments dismissing him as MP for East Sepik and the vacancy in the East Sepik Provincial Seat was gazette.
“ I am willing to serve as prime minister again,” the 76-year-old Sir Michael told AAP.
“Although I do not know if I will run for East Sepik again. There is a lot to consider. I cannot believe they have done this to me, after 43 years — 44 next year,” Sir Michael said of the decision by the Parliament to rescind its decision to grant him leave of absence."
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20111212/news03.htm