Papua New Guinea’s prime minister resigns

International Desk: Peter O’Neill, the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, has resigned after weeks of high-level defections from his ruling party.

Mr O’Neill told a news conference in Port Moresby that recent changes to political allegiances in parliament had shown a “need for change”.

On Friday, Mr O’Neill’s opponents said they had mustered enough support in parliament to oust him over a range of grievances including dissatisfaction with Mr O’Neill’s leadership and in particular his unilateral handling of a multibillion-dollar gas deal that opponents said was a poor outcome for PNG [Papua New Guinea] .

Mr O’Neill, who has been prime minister for seven years, has handed the leadership to Sir Julius Chan.

Mr Chan (79) is a former prime minister of Papua New Guinea, having served in the top job from 1980 to 1982, as the country’s second ever prime minister, and then again from 1994 to 1997.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/May 26, 2019/Nasim