Vote of No Confidence thrown out, Polye, Basill referred to Parliamentary Privilleges Committee

Opposition leader Don Polye (R) and Deputy Sam Basil (L)
have been referred to Parliamentary Committee.

 In a new twist today, the PNG Opposition's motion of Vote of No confidence filed to oust Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has been rejected and thrown out by acting speaker Aide Ganasi in Parliament , and  referred the Deputy Opposition leader and mover of the motion Sam Basil to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee for investigation for a possible breach of unauthorized signatures of the MPs.

Ganasi  told Parliament that the motion lacked the number of signatures under section 145 of the Constitution as only 9 signatures were on the motion.  According to the law, the number of signatures on the motion must be 11.

The speaker has discovered that the motion  had  Vanimo Green MP Belden Namah  as one of  the signatories but now he is  suspended and disqualified from participating in signing the motion. Mr . Ganasi also discovered that Morobe Governor Kelly Naru's signature was not on the motion. 

“Therefore the proposed motion failed to meet the procedural requirements for tabling which on these basis, the committee rejects the motion outright,”  Ganasi said.

Opposition leader Don Polye and his deputy Sam Basil will be investigated by Parliamentary Privilleges Committee on allegations of forgery.