PORT MORESBY, Feb 13, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Papua New Guinea's prime minister is 
to face a vote of no confidence after opposition lawmakers lodged a motion on 
Tuesday to challenge his leadership in the wake of deadly riots.

James Marape, whose tenure has been defined by deepening ties with the United 
States and Australia, has been under fierce domestic pressure since January 
riots during which 25 people were killed, shops were pillaged and buildings 
set ablaze in two cities. 

Lawmakers led by would-be successor Allan Bird filed the motion, just as an 
18-month post-election grace period for Marape's government ended. 

"I can't pretend that things are going well for our people. I want 
solutions," Bird said, "I think of myself as the tip of the spear." 

He was flanked by supporters including former prime minister Peter O'Neill, 
once a Marape ally and now a rival.

"The way we are going, can anyone honestly say that the future is looking 
bright?" Bird said.

Marape's Pangu Party-led coalition currently holds a sizeable majority in 
parliament and is expected to defeat the vote.

But Papua New Guinea's politics are highly fluid, with regional and 
individual interests often trumping party politics and loyalties.

Few prime ministers in the country's history have survived a full five-year 
term.

A date for the vote of no confidence is expected to be set on Wednesday.