30 Jan 2012

PNG: Dame Carol Kidu wants to lead opposition

2:26 pm on 30 January 2012

Papua New Guinea's only female MP, Dame Carol Kidu, says she intends to sit as the opposition leader in parliament, to hold the Peter O'Neill-led government to account.

The Michael Somare-led camp has refused to take up opposition seats so as not to concede the legitimacy of the Peter O'Neill government.

Dame Carol says she still believes Sir Michael Somare's removal was illegal as declared by the Supreme Court in December.

But she says after last week's attempted military mutiny believed to be linked to the power struggle, she has distanced herself from the Somare camp.

"Purportedly a cabinet decision was made by this Somare cabinet to endorse the military intervention and if that's the case well I disassociate myself with it because that is outside the parameters of the law. But I'm the only one who has been there every session, sitting there in the middle benches and I feel now why not sit in the opposition."

Dame Carol says she has informed the speaker that she wishes to sit in the opposition leader's chair, a move which will be tested on the floor on February the 14th.