Polye expelled from Government benches

FORMER Cabinet minister and THE Party leader, Don Polye  was expelled from Government benches and was allocated a sit in the Opposition bench in the Parliament. Mr Polye has protested the government decision by boycotting parliament seating. According to a senior member from the government James Marape, Mr Polye will be allocated seat in the Opposition bench whether he likes it or not. 

But sources close to the Speaker Theo Zurenuoc said legal advice had been sought on the move because Polye,could only be expelled from the Government side by his own party members.

Marape said the ruling Peoples National Congress caucus on Monday decided to move Polye out of the government benches because of the anti-government crusade he recently had been staging.

Marape said the PNC caucus agreed that Polye had breached government protocol and cabinet decorum by continuously speaking out in public against government issues.

Marape said Zurenuoc had been informed of the PNC caucus decision and advised to move Polye to the Opposition benches.

Zurenuoc could not be reached for comment yesterday but a source close to him said the Speaker was in a dilemma at the moment and was seeking legal advice on the matter.

“Polye is a member of a party in government. He can only be expelled from the Government by his own party,” a source said.

But Marape said Polye had to be moved.

“I was given the unpleasant task of conveying that to a brother politician whom I’ve had a close association with,” he said.

“But I have to do my work as Leader of Government Business. In Parliament, there’s no such thing as a middle bench. Middle bench is a description of the layout of Parliament itself.

“His status as leader of THE Party is something for THE Party members to decide. It’s not for PNC to decide. His leadership of THE Party remains. If they want to move with him to Opposition, that’s their democratic right.”