Transcript
KERENGA KUA: The initial nomination of James Marape has had its maximum effect already. And he did a fantastic job of bringing 24 people across the floor. But we are still short by... as of the 7th of May, we were still short by six MPs. We needed 56 to change the government and we were only able to muster 50. And we've allowed for about 10 days to see whether any additional MPs can cross the floor, but they haven't. So James Marape himself offered to.. he asked the caucus opposition to withdraw his nomination as an alternative candidate and put the position back on the table again, in the hope that any other contenders from the government side who wants to put their name up can consider coming across with their number, and then we can decide on an alternative after that.
JOHNNY BLADES: Are you solid in terms of the 50 MPs who were there on the 7th of May. Are you saying everyone's pretty much committed to staying, that you're not going to have like a Douglas Tomuriesa who goes back (to the government after leaving)?
KK: You will always have one or two blowing with around with the wind, depending on which direction the wind is blowing. You've got to allow for that. As long as the susbstantial number is intact, you're okay. Remember, we went from 26 to 50. And that's a pretty big jump. And we're proud of that.
JB: Is it fair to say that there are some party leaders within the coalition government who are interested in the prime ministerial role, who you are in some ways directly appealing to here?
KK: Yeah. I think part of the reason why some of those coalition partners were not crossing the line, notwithstanding the overwhelming body of evidence against the prime minister, may be related to maybe their wish to be considered as an alternative prime minister, and they have every right to, you know, entertain such an expectation and hope and wish, an aspiration, because a lot of them have invested their life into their public office business, hoping that one day they can be considered for that top post. So what we are doing is we are facilitating for those dreams to be processed.
JB: Do you have ambitions to be Prime Minister? I mean, plenty of people have mentioned your name. But I suppose in this present scenario, you're almost indicating it's likely to be someone who comes across from the current government?
KK: Well let me say no to the second part. The system that we have agreed to it for the leadership to be decided by consensus. Those people who want to participate in the selection process, they have to come in and participate in it. It's not offered to them, it is placed on the table. The best system that we can think of at the moment is an exhaustive, secret ballot.
JB: You mentioned that before Marape's nomination, you mentioned the secret ballot but that didn't take place though did it?
KK: It didn't. But we've now fallen back to that one, and that's the agreed position now.
JB: And would you put your name in the hat? Is it up to you or is it just if someone else nominates you?
KK: Well, the great thing about our opposition coalition is that nobody sticks their finger up, that decision will be made. In the process of exhaustive secret ballot, you just distribute the ballot papers and the voting will take place based on the people inside the locked room. If there are 60 of us, there will be 60 ballot papers. You go through first round of voting, the lowest get eliminated and you get to round two, and after round two you get into round three and so on until the two last people are standing, and the winner there will be somebody who has the substantial support of the great bulk of the majority. That should be the candidate who is universally accepted.
