PNG Prime Minister appoints full Cabinet

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has named his full Cabinet so the government can put a new foot forward with the incoming O’Neill/Abel administration in Port Moresby.

More than half of the members named Wednesday are new ministers, 19 of them are first time ministers, while 14 are senior ministers who have served in the ninth Parliament.

The full list consists of 17 members of the ruling People’s National Congress Party, four from the coalition partner United Resource Party, four from the Independents, three from the People’s Progress Party, and one each from United Party, Our Development Party, PNG National Party, Social Democratic Party and Christian Democratic Party.

Despite the election results, Mr O’Neill has been fair to all regions, Morobe, Sepik, and NGI, who have rejected PNC during the election. He said that they have tried to have a good regional balance, using the experience and the talents that each minister or Member of Parliament had.

Mr O’Neill also announced that today he will chair his first Cabinet meeting in Port Moresby.

“We thank you for your support from our people from the past election and we look forward to meeting the challenges that they want us to meet,” Mr O’Neill said.

“We have tried to have a good regional balance, use the experience and the talents that each minister or Member of Parliament has, and we will certainly be making sure that they are put to good use for the interest of the nation. So, that is why we have allocated the ministries this way.

The Cabinet is made up of 33 Ministers.