Opposition Nominee Rainbo Paita Criticizes PM Marape for Misleading Statements and Leadership Failures

Opposition Nominee Rainbo Paita Criticizes PM Marape For Misleading Statements And Leadership Failures

​Finschhafen MP and Alternative Prime Minister nominee Hon. Rainbo Paita has expressed disappointment with Prime Minister James Marape over what he described as “blatant misstatements” and a “poor choice of words” concerning the recent PANGU Pati caucus meeting.

Responding to Mr. Marape’s media statement on Sunday, June 9, 2024, Mr. Paita corrected several misleading points and defended the decision of 12 MPs, including himself, to leave the party leader Marape, not the PANGU Pati itself.

“Mr. Marape proudly stated that the party unanimously voted to maintain his position as party leader and deputy party leader. However, we, the PANGU MPs who challenged Marape’s leadership, were NOT given an opportunity to vote on this matter,” said Mr. Paita. “At the time of the meeting, we were still PANGU Pati MPs and should have been accorded our right to vote, so our dissent was formally registered. Unfortunately, we were denied this right as party members.”

Mr. Paita accused Mr. Marape of misleading the public by suggesting he received full support from all PANGU members. He stated, “We firmly expressed our disappointment with Marape’s many failures as party leader and Prime Minister.”

Furthermore, Mr. Paita took issue with Mr. Marape’s description of him and the 11 MPs who left PANGU as ‘renegades.’ He highlighted the inconsistency in Mr. Marape’s stance, recalling a time when Marape himself left the PNC Party and the government.

“Apart from the late Sam Basil and the late William Samb, I have been a consistent member of PANGU since its resurrection by the two leaders. Reading the PM describe my colleagues and me as ‘renegades’ is disappointing,” said Mr. Paita. “In 2019, when six other PANGU MPs and I left government to support Mr. Marape to become PM, late Sam Basil never described our decision as ‘renegade’ but respected our decisions.”

Mr. Paita criticized Mr. Marape for his contradictory statements, asserting that the Prime Minister’s leadership has been marked by inconsistency. He urged for a national coalition to address the country’s critical problems, calling for unity beyond political differences.

Contrary to Mr. Marape’s claims, Mr. Paita clarified that the MPs were not given the required seven days’ notice of termination of party membership. “We did not go to the caucus to plead to stay in the party. I led my team to explain the reasons for our departure from the government,” he said.

Mr. Paita maintained that the caucus meeting was flawed as the dissenting MPs were not allowed to vote. He challenged Mr. Marape to allow the Notice of Motion of No Confidence to be debated in Parliament, questioning the Prime Minister’s confidence in his support.

“If Mr. Marape is confident of his support as PM, he should have no issue having his leadership debated by all MPs,” said Mr. Paita. “By finding minor defects to reject the Notice of Motion, he shows a lack of confidence and is avoiding a leadership debate.”

Mr. Paita concluded by highlighting the importance of trust in governance, not just promises. “Trust holds governments together, not promises and plays. God bless our efforts to serve his people,” he said.

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