PNG Govt splits, four ministers defect

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare during his visit to New Zealand. Photo / Martin Sykes

Papua New Guinea's government has split, with four key ministers defecting to the opposition in a move that sets the stage for the deputy prime minister, Puka Temu, to topple current leader Michael Somare.

Mr Temu, along with Forest Minister Beldan Namah, Culture Minister Charles Abel and Attorney-General Ano Pala, have publicly announced their move away from the government.

"The reason I left is because I believe this is the right thing to do and the right thing to do is form a new government," Mr Temu said at a news conference on Monday afternoon.

"There is a lot of disharmony in the country and in the cabinet," he said.

He said a vote of no confidence in the government would be moved when parliament sits on Tuesday.

Transport Minister Don Polye had been expected to launch a leadership challenge at a meeting of the ruling National Alliance Party on Monday, but Mr Temu's move to the opposition has thrown the political landscape into further uncertainty.

Mr Polye and Mr Somare remained silent on Monday afternoon, with advisers telling AAP they were still in a party meeting and would announce the cabinet reshuffle later on Monday night.

An opposition spokesman said the opposition had 52 members onside out of 109 MPs and would continue talks through the night, with more ministers expected to defect.

"We have the numbers, that's why he moved to join the new government," the spokesman said, referring to Mr Temu.

"Puka is the obvious leader, but let's wait and see," he said.

The opposition camp was in lockdown on Monday night at a hotel 30 minutes outside Port Moresby, where number crunching was being conducted.

If 24 hours is a long time in politics then in PNG it's an eternity - and it's possible the members could switch sides again overnight.

The government split bypassed another potential threat to the Somare government that was expected to come from a Highlands faction led by Mr Polye.

Mr Polye's factional followers are now understood to have joined the opposition in its move for a vote of no confidence against the government, which will be gazetted on Tuesday and is expected to be voted on next week.

This could be an ignoble exit for Mr Somare, 74, who was PNG's first prime minister after independence from Australia in 1975, and has had three stints in office.

The political turmoil that now threatens to bring him down began earlier this month when PNG's Supreme Court revoked reforms that had come into force in 2002 to strengthen PNG's political discipline and stave off votes of no confidence that in the past saw repeated government changes when parties switched allegiances.

The ruling now allows disgruntled parliament members to once again cross the floor and form a new government - paving the way for a return to constant political upheaval.

Western Province Governor Bob Danaya, who was the chief architect in the legal challenge to revoke the reforms, told AAP the country had been suffering under the Somare government.

"The formation of a new government is imminent but the leadership issue still to be discussed," he said.

"People want change and it must be genuine with new leadership," he said.

However, Monday's events could turn into an anti-climax when parliament resumes on Tuesday, if the government chooses to adjourn parliament as a strategy to delay the vote of no confidence.

- AAP