Skate said he was heeding the message of the people for change, saying: "We're
going to be an open, we're going to be a transparent government."
At the last minute, Sir Mekere Morauta, former governor of the Central Bank of
Papua New Guinea and an outspoken critic of corruption, and Lady Carol Kidu,
the naturalised white wife of the late Chief Justice Sir Buri Kidu, refused to
join the Skate government and sided with onetime Prime Minister Sir Michael
Somare's National Alliance bloc.
Former Pangu Pati Speaker Sir Rabbie Namaliu also defected to the Alliance and
critics said "MPs with integrity have rallied to Somare".
Skate easily defeated Somare by 71 votes to 35 in the 109-seat Parliament Haus.
His success at becoming the first ethnic prime minister from the southern
Papuan region since independence came as a last-minute surprise.
For the past week it had been expected that Somare, Papua New Guinea's founding
father, would emerge as prime minister for the third time, heading a government
of national unity.
But Skate stitched together a deal with former Deputy Prime Minister Chris
Haiveta at the 11th hour.
Political observers were astonished by the sudden turn-around with People's
National Alliance led by Skate making an alliance with the coalition of Pangu
Pati's Haiveta and the People's Progress Party of defeated Prime Minister Sir
Julius Chan.
Sir Julius, whose government hired the Sandline mercenary force to intervene in
the Bougainville civil war for US$36 million, played a key role in arranging
the new coalition.
At his parliamentary election, Skate was embarrassed over an angry verbal
attack on the new government majority.
A former deputy prime minister and army commander, Ted Diro, bitterly denounced
the Sandline affair and the government's role
"I was shocked to learn last night that the Prime Minister was using
foreigners, possibly members of the Sandline organisation, to strong-arm his
way into power," he said.
He was asked by the Speaker to confine his remarks to congratulatory messages.
Sir Michael Somare, at the age of 61 Papua New Guinea's elder stateman, had
pledged that an administration led by his National Alliance would:
set up a new Sandline inquiry with wider terms of reference,
act strongly against corruption,
seek greater transparency in government.
But after being sworn in as Prime Minister, Skate said he was prepared to open
a new inquiry into the Sandline affair with a broader terms of reference.
"Let the people decide because I think this thing has destroyed a lot of
leaders," he said.
Meanwhile, news that Bougainville rebels have agreed to set free five Papua New
Guinea security force members who have been held hostage for 10 months is
exected to be a major boost for the peace process.
The new government is yet to respond to the Burnham DeclaratIon for a ceasefire
and a United Nations-backed peace force on Bougainville, but Skate said
Bougainville would be high on his agenda.
David Robie is a New Zealand journalist and author specialising in Pacific affairs. He is currently lecturer in journalism at the University of Papua New Guinea
