Patrick Pruaitch

Patrick Pruaitch, CMG (/ˈpruːaɪtʃ/[1]; born 29 June 1964) is Minister of Foreign affairs of Papua New Guinea since November 2019. He is since 2002 Member of Parliament representing the Aitape-Lumi constituency in the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. He has been a Cabinet Minister with few interruptions from 2002-2010 and thereafter from 2012-2017. He was leader of the opposition from 2017-2019 [2]

The Honourable

Patrick Pruaitch

CMG MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
Assumed office
8 November 2019
Prime MinisterJames Marape
Preceded bySoroi Eoe
Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
Assumed office
2002
ConstituencyAitape-Lumi Open
Personal details
Born (1964-06-29) 29 June 1964
Sandaun Province
NationalityPapua New Guinean
Political partyNational Alliance Party (2002–)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2002)
Alma materUniversity of Papua New Guinea

Early life

Pruaitch was born in the Sanduan (West Sepik) Province of Papua New Guinea. He was educated at St. Vincent de Paul Primary School, St Ignatius High School, and Sogeri National High School. He received a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea.[2]

He was employed by SP Holdings for 10 years, and then moved to Shell in 1998 until his resignation to run in the 2002 elections.[2]

Political career

Pruaitch is an important politician within the PNG context.Firstly because he is a long standing MP in a parliament where turnover during elections is high. Secondly, he has been close to power as a member of the Cabinet from 2002-2010 and from 2012-2017. Thirdly, he became the leader of the National Alliance Party (Papua New Guinea) after Michael Somare left the party in 2012. [3] He belongs to this party since 2002. Under his leadership the National Alliance Party revived after a big election defeat in 2012 (six seats) to being the second biggest party in the 2017 Papua New Guinean general election (13 seats). In the context of PNG politics it is unusual that politicians remain in the same party and that a party is relatively stable over long periods.

Pruaitch was first elected to the national parliament in the 2002 elections as an independent MP. He joined the National Alliance Party, which was then-Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's party. He was regularly acting in capacities but his most important posts were at the Finance and Treasury portfolios. He was appointed as Minister for Forestry on 13 August 2002. In May 2004 he became as well Leader of Government business, To these responsibilities were added Minister for Lands and Physical planning in August 2004. Following the resignation of Arthur Somare as Minister of State in March 2006, he became minister for National Planning and Monitoring and from April to these were added the responsibilities of Minister of Finance.In June 2006 he lost his Cabinet positions in a reshuffle. He came back in parliament after being re-elected in 2007 and was made Minister of Treasury and Finance in the Somare/Temu government. He combined this post for three months with Forestry until August 2007. In June 2010, he was suspended from his Parliamentary seat due to allegations of misconduct in 2008: irregularities in expense accounts and misuse of District Development Funds [4] The procedure to bring him before a Leadership Tribunal was still under way in December 2019. Then his last appeal against the procedure was dismissed.[5] Despite,these accusations he was appointed in the caretaker cabinet of Sam Abal when Michael Somare was in hospital in 2011. However he was only a few months in that office because the new government of Peter O'Neill deposed the Abal Government during the 2011–12 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis. Pruaitch was again elected as a Member of Parliament in 2012 despite the accusations of misuse of office, He was as well appointed Minister of Forestry and Climate Change by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill in August 2012 after the elections. In March 2014, he became Minister of the Treasury.[6][2]Following the 2017 general election, he led the coalition of parliamentary opposition parties against Peter O'Neill's government. [7]

The succession of Peter O'Neill and Pruaitch

Pruaitch publicly criticised in early April 2017 his own government's management of the economy at a party meeting of the National Alliance Party. He was then formally still in the Cabinet as Treasurer. He stressed the rapid growth of the national debt and the fall of government revenue. He doubted Peter O'Neill's willingness to curb public spending at a time when public debt is increasing.[8] The following month, early in May, he accused O'Neill of not providing sufficient funding for police services in preparation for the 2017 general election.[9] O’Neill responded after a few days stating that Pruaitch himself as minister in his Cabinet was responsible for the state of affairs of the economy. [10] Pruaitch was dismissed as treasurer on 12 May 2017, but O'Neill offered him to remain a member of the government as a minister without a portfolio.[11] Pruaitch decided however to leave the coalition. [12]

A vote of no confidence cannot be moved in PNG’s national parliament during a period of 18 months after the commencement of the term of a Prime Minister. The O’Neill/Able government became therefore vulnerable in February 2019. [13] In November 2018 coalition of opposition parties was formed in anticipation of, a Vote of No Confidence.[14] This coalition appointed on 28 May 2019 Pruaitch as nominee for Prime Minister in the Alternative Government of Papua New Guinea. He was proposed and introduced by James Marape as the unanimous choice of the Opposition MPs.[15] Marape was Minister of Finance but he defected from the O’Neill/Abel government in early April 2019.[16]He had been declared as alternate MP before on 7/05/2019. However he later resigned from the post after he was mentioned together with O’Neill in an Ombudman report on the UBS loan, [17][18] Pruaitch became thus the leader of that coalition which then still fell far short of the numbers to succeed. This changed after more and more MPs joined them. The defection of William Duma and his United Resources Party gave the opposition the numbers to defeat O’Neill.[19] O’Neill avoided then a vote of no confidence by resigning as prime minister which left a void. [20] That was filled by Marape who together with 28MPs rejoined PNC. That was party he had left before.[21] Marape was then elected as PM by an overwhelming majority of MPs.[22] Pruaitch initially reacted with a confusing proposal to nominate Peter O”Neill but this was defeated. He protested against the procedure and opened a court case as he considered the succession illegal. [23](20) However after a few months he left the opposition and joined the government coalition.[24] In November Marape appointed him as Minister of Foreign Affairs. [25]


References
  1. "Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch Still Seated on Government Side". Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. "Hon. Patrick Pruaitch, CMG, MP - Tenth Parliament of Papua New Guinea". www.parliament.gov.pg. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. Liam Fox, Sean Dorney and staff, Somare resigns as party leader https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-25/an-png-politics/4153186 Posted on: 25/07/2012 Retrieved 27/4/2020
  4. PNG finance Minister to face tribunal Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/188545/png-finance-minister-to-face-leadership-tribunal Posted on:5/2/2010 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  5. Supreme Court dismisses appeal by Hon.Patrick Pruaitch dismissed Available at: https://www.ombudsman.gov.pg/appeal-by-pruaitch-dismissed/ Posted on: 13/12/2019 2010 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  6. The Governments of Papua New Guinea (2012), Port Moresby: IMPS Research
  7. "Accord signed to form Opposition". Post Courier. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  8. Johnny Blades, Papua New Guinea’s economy ‘has fallen off a cliff’ Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/328033/papua-new-guinea%27s-economy-has-%27fallen-off-a-cliff%27 Posted on: 3/04/2017 Retrieved 27/4/2020
  9. Charles Yapumi, election funds for police irks Pruaitch Available at: http://www.looppng.com/elections/election-funds-police-irks-pruaitch-58604 Posted on:10/05/2017 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  10. Charles Yapumi, O’Neill responds to Pruaitch http://www.looppng.com/png-news/o’neill-responds-pruaitch-58654 Posted on:11/05/2017 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  11. "Pruaitch removed as PNG Treasurer". RNZ. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  12. Charles Yapumi, O’Neill Alliance decision to leave was expected Available at: http://www.looppng.com/elections/pm-o’neill-national-alliance’s-decision-leave-was-expected-58964 Posted on:16/05/2017 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  13. Salome Vincent, Timeline of PNG’s VONC Available at: http://www.looppng.com/png-news/timeline-png’s-vonc-84070 Posted on:7/05/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  14. PNG Opposition seeks support to remove PM Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/370034/png-opposition-seeks-support-to-remove-pm Posted on:2/11/2017 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  15. Patjole, Cedric (28 May 2019). "Pruaitch is Alternate PM nominee". Loop PNG. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  16. James Thornhill. Papua New guinea Finance Minister leaves after Gas Deal Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-14/papua-new-guinea-finance-minister-quits-after-landmark-gas-deal Posted on:14/04/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  17. Johnny Blades, James Marape nominated as alternative pm.Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/388617/james-marape-nominated-as-png-s-alternative-pm Posted on: 7/05/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  18. Hon. James Marape turns down nomination as alternate PM Available at: https://postcourier.com.pg/hon-james-marape-turns-nominee-alternate-pm/ Posted on: 20/05/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  19. More resignations from Papua New guinea Government Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/389980/more-resignations-from-papua-new-guinea-govt Posted on: 24/5/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  20. Kate Lyons, Papua New Guinea: Peter O’Neill finally bows out ending days of political unrest Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/peter-oneill-end-days-of-political-unrest-resign-papua-new-guinea-prime-minister Posted on: 29/05/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  21. PNG Breaking News: Marape rejoins Peter O;Neil with 28 MPSAvailable at: https://www.facebook.com/pngbreakingnews/posts/2122420501199890?comment_id=2122474934527780&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Posted on: 28/052019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  22. Freddy Mou, Marape is 8th PM Available at: http://www.looppng.com/png-news/marape-8th-pm-84574 Posted on: 30/05/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  23. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister’s election faces Court Challenge Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-papua-politics/papua-new-guinea-prime-ministers-election-faces-court-challenge-idUSKCN1VR0UV Posted on: 6/09/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
  24. Patrick Pruaitch takes his party into PNG government. Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/398505/patrick-pruaitch-takes-his-party-into-png-govt Posted on:10/9/2019. Retrieved 27/04/2020
  25. PNG PM reshuffles Cabinet Available at: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/402861/png-pm-marape-reshuffles-cabinet Posted on: 8/11/2019 Retrieved 27/04/2020
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