Sir Michael Somare says May the 21st will be remembered in Papua New Guinea history as a triumphant day for the time-tested Constitution and the rule of law.
On that day, the Supreme Court ruled that Sir Michael was to be restored to the prime ministership.
In a statement, he says the ruling ensures the democratic foundations on which PNG was built remain intact.
Don Wiseman has more:
"Sir Michael says the action of the O'Neill faction in removing him from government in August last year was the most serious assault on the country's democracy. He calls on the public service and the police to respect the ruling. Sir Michael says the O'Neill/Namah regime hijacked parliament and took the country on a dangerous and risky ride the full implications of which may not be clear for some considerable period. He says his focus as caretaker Prime Minister will be to finalise his cabinet, help the Electoral Commission prepare for the next month's poll; to restore normalcy to the law enforcement agencies, re-institute respect for the judiciary and stabilise, reunite, and rebuild the confidence of the public service. Sir Michael says they want to ensure than once a new government is formed following the election it will enjoy the full trust of the public and ensure that the tasks of nation building continues to progress, building on the achievements that his government has made in the past decade."
