The Papua New Guinea parliament adjourned for 21 days after one one-hour debate and tabling of the Motion of 2019 Vote of No Confidence. The parliament will resume on the 28th of May 2019 when the VoNC will take place.
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Numbers Stack
Out of the 111 seats in the PNG parliament, 2 (Simbu Regional and Goroka Open) are vacant, 50 in the opposition and 59 in the government.
The opposition needs only 5 MPs to tip the balance in the 2019 Vote of No Confidence.
What Next - Government Camp
21 days is a long time. However, Mr O'Neill mentioned that he'll need the time to rebalance his government. That means that he will award the 'goodies' where it's due. As reported by ABC resident correspondent
He [Peter O'Neill] says the adjournment is to allow him to appoint new ministers and to give them time to get across their portfolios. Nathalie Whiting
The defaulting ministerial positions are NOT vacant: Finance (filled), Attorney General (filled), and Defence (vacant). If new appointments are made, it means only one thing - there is likely to be a major reshuffle within the ranks and file of the PNC party-led government in the coming weeks before the 2019 Vote of No Confidence.
This will result in the former Pangu Parti and People's Progress Party members being rewarded with a ministerial portfolio. Others will be looked after very well till the 21-day lapse. There are enough beds and breakfasts in the government's house.
Meanwhile, a full tummy and a nice bed will keep a government MP happy for 20 days until the 2019 Vote of No Confidence.
What Next - Opposition Camp
As for the opposition camp, they need only 5 members to defect from the government and join them. Opposition with 50, add 5 will give them 55 to the government 54.
There are more than 5 members in the government camp who are at liberty to move at their own will such as Douglas Tomuriesa. Another group that can tip the balance of power is the provincial governors.
The member for Bulolo and his 9 MPs were, once, a long-time opponent of the Prime Minister. Some PNC members are not settled for what they have.
So, if the opposition plays its cards right, it might just topple the PNC-led government in 21 days' time.
Here is a section of the earlier post...
Leverage the losses in opposing camps
Gaining numbers is what matters for the opposition between the 7th and 21st of May 2019. Of all the MPs at work, there are Magnets, Dealers, Golden Oldies, Straight Shooters, Whisperers, Power Brokers and King Makers.
This is how the 111 MPs can be classified.
- Magnets are the prime minister candidates seen by the people and MPs as potential leaders;
- Dealers are also called the briefcase carriers who will do anything to open it;
- Golden Oldies are dinosaurs of PNG politics;
- Straight shooters are the young MPs who want a better future for PNG;
- Whisperers are the shadowy politicians, especially the MPs who have not made their stance clear yet.
The next two classes of MPs are a class of their own:
- ↣Power Brokers are different from Dealers - Power Brokers leaders. They have great listening skills. When they speak, other MPs listen in return; and
- ↣King Makers are a combination of Magnets and Power Brokers. They are good listeners. Their actions are too selfless.
On this note, in the 2019 Vote of No Confidence, you can classify your MP as a Magnet, Dealer, Golden Oldy, Straight Shooter, Whisperer, Power Broker and King Maker
