'Palm' pid='7614' datel Wrote:Ellers, today was to be a slow day. O'Neill and others flew back to camp to finalize things for tomorrow. Lots of speculating going on. Post Courier is still showing July 31 news, but if one knows how to get to the current issue, the stories are there. Not much though. Here are a few story links: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120802/news01.htm http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120802/news04.htm: "Alotau campers shift to Port Moresby for election ABOUT 80 member elects from the Alotau camp arrive in Port Moresby today to prepare for the election of the prime minister when Parliament sits tomorrow. People’s National Congress Party Leader Peter O’Neill will travel to Port Moresby today with all the coalition partners – the National Alliance, THE Party, People’s Progress Party, People’s Untied Assembly, Social Democratic Movement, PNG Country Party, People’s Democratic Movement, United Resource Party, United Party and independents. This is after Chief Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen returned only 106 of the total 111 Writs to Governor General Sir Michael Ogio in Port Moresby yesterday. This also follows the Governor General Sir Michael Ogio’s invitation to Peter O’Neil’s People’s National Congress Party to form government in the ninth Parliament. The entire team is expected to travel in today ahead of the first session of the ninth National Parliament tomorrow. The first order of the day tomorrow will be the swearing-in of new MPs followed by the election of the Speaker and the Prime Minister. The sitting of Parliament comes despite the fact that five electorates will miss out on this most important constitutional process." http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120802/news10.htm: "Who gets what! By GORETHY KENNETH WHO GETS WHAT? It is now “Hard Choices Ahead” for PNC Party as they face a difficult task in balancing power in government, especially in their choices for distribution of top ministerial and other positions. This piece is a Parliament preview from the reporter’s perspective and purely a responsibility of the Post Courier as it is how the paper’s political reporters now see the Government ahead. It is common knowledge that it will be a game of numbers that will determine the distribution of portfolios. It is also common knowledge, and from the past National Alliance led government, the most important portfolio has always been retained by the party that forms the government. Although this was not so in August 02, 2012 where Don Polye’s 25 members who walked away from the National Alliance and helped give away the prime ministership to PNC’s Peter O’Neill who had six members at that time – they grew within months. Will this be time for Mr O’Neill to “give back” to THE Party? As far as I can see this time around, let’s talk about PNC’s choice of deputy prime minister. There are three contenders. The first choice is THE Party’s Don Polye because of their 13 members helping to boost the numbers for PNC to form Government. Then you have National Alliance’s Patrick Pruaitch, who is understood to have walked into the PNC camp with a wealth of experience in the formation of Government. With his seven members, what will also count here is the relationship NA had with PNC. The NA-led government under Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare recognized PNC as a potential coalition partner, giving Mr O’Neill the top post of Finance and Treasury and later, Public Service minsitry. I say, maybe it’s time PNC returns the favour, but that is the choice of PNC and its coalition partners. Third in line is People’s Progress Party. They have been there for Peter O’Neill and they have had a very good working relationship with an element of solid friendship. They have been in bed with PNC all along, although not big in numbers but some kind of relationship to ponder upon. It may not necessarily be Sir Julius Chan on the deputy prime minister position because he is Govenror for New Ireland, but one of the top posts: the Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister, Finance, Treasury, National Planning or Works and Transport. The other group that has been entirely out of the picture is the Papuan Group. Now let’s talk regionalism. Although the leader of this group is hard to identify, it will be very difficult to make a choice. Out of 29 seats in the Papuan Region, they have brought in 21 into the PNC camp to support PNC form government, and SDP has come home to join PNC with three, so Powes Parkop might have a chance or rather, because of their relationship with Sir Puka Temu, they might lobby for him. For Momase, there is Patrick Pruaitch because of his experience in the formation of government. There are alternatives but because they are all new in the game, they still have a long way to learn. The New Guinea Islanders come in handy for PNC, but they have strong contenders for a ministry: Sir Julius Chan and Paul Tiensten, Leo Dion and two Bougainville MPs, Steven Pirika Kamma and Jimmy Miringtoro who retained their seats. And of course you have the Highlanders. This group is an untouchable group because you have “power” men in Anderson Agiru, William Duma, Paias Wingti - if he gets declared - Don Polye and Peter Ipatas. It’s difficult, but then again, O’Neill and his coalition party leaders and members must have ironed out most of these issues at their Alotau camp. The people of PNG will know tomorrow."
Thanks Palm, if parliament meets it will be 5pm pacific time so we should have news later this evening on what took place.