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Agence France-Presse

Papua New Guinea’s veteran prime minister formally resigned on Wednesday, easing a months-long political crisis and calling a multibillion-dollar French and US-backed gas deal into doubt.
Facing a vote of no confidence he looked sure to lose, Peter O’Neill told parliament that he had tendered his letter of resignation to the country’s governor general.
O’Neill led the rugged and ethnically diverse nation for eight years but had been criticised for endemic corruption and chronic underdevelopment.
Powerful regional politicians had balked at his recent US$13 billion deal with Total and ExxonMobil to extract, pipe and ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) overseas.
China-Australia rivalry surrounds Apec summit in Papua New Guinea

Finance minister James Marape was the first senior cabinet official to resign in protest, saying the money would not go to ordinary Papua New Guineans, local firms or the regions.
A similar deal in the last decade has failed to bring wealth to a country where around 70 per cent of people do not have access to reliable electricity.
O’Neill had earlier promised to resign, but failed to do so and took court action in a bid to cling to power.
That prompted angry scenes in parliament Tuesday, including physical confrontations between O’Niell’s supporters and opponents trying to oust him and the speaker of parliament.
But on Wednesday O’Neill jumped: “I want to inform this honourable house that at 9.45am this morning I delivered to … the governor-general of Papua New Guinea my letter of resignation so that we can deal with this matter once and for all.”
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In a valedictory speech, O’Neill touted his achievements in office, including hosting the 2018 Apec summit, a vast undertaking for a developing country with limited central government capacity.
“We have always been known for the wrong reasons,” O’Neill said.
A parliamentary vote on a new prime minister is expected to take place in the coming days.
Experts said that his departure could see an end to big-ticket infrastructure projects that many believe have benefited only Port Moresby and the country’s connected elite.
“O’Neill’s departure has the potential for a wholesale shift in the policy direction taken by PNG’s government,” said Jonathan Ritchie of Melbourne’s Deakin University.
“But the suspicion of at least some informed Papua New Guinean observers is that it will result only in the rearranging of the deck chairs,” he wrote ahead of O’Neill’s departure.
“A reshuffling of the cards that will lead to another privileged insider, another member of PNG’s political class, taking over the PM’s role from the mostly unlamented O’Neill.”


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Papua New Guinea PM Peter O’Neill resigns, ending political crisis but throwing Total, Exxon gas deal into doubt

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has submitted his resignation. Photo: Reuters

(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 16, 2018 Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill speaks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Port Moresby. - O'Neill formally resigned on May 29, 2019, easing a months-long political crisis and calling a multi-billion-dollar French and US-backed gas deal into doubt. (Photo by Fazry ISMAIL / AFP)

Members of the parliament react during the session in Port Moresby on May 28, 2019. - Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill stalled his announced resignation and took legal action to prevent a vote of no confidence on May 28, deepening the country's political crisis. (Photo by GORETHY KENNETH / AFP)

Australia plans naval base in Papua New Guinea to curb China’s Pacific influence

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to deny the reports of plans to set up a naval base in PNG. Photo: Reuters

China upgrades relations with strategically important Papua New Guinea

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O’Neill agreed to boost ties when they met in Port Moresby on Friday. Photo: Reuters

China-Australia rivalry surrounds Apec summit in Papua New Guinea

China Construction Bank’s advertisement outside Port Moresby airport. Photo: Kinling Lo

epa07160325 Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) officers patrol outside the APEC Haus, one of the venues of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 12 November 2018. The APEC summit brings together world leaders from its 21 member nations and is being hosted for the first time by Papua New Guinea. EPA-EFE/FAZRY ISMAIL

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He led the rugged and ethnically diverse nation for eight years but had been criticised for endemic corruption and chronic underdevelopment
Regional politicians had balked at his recent US$13 billion deal with Total and ExxonMobil to extract, pipe and ship liquefied natural gas overseas


He led the rugged and ethnically diverse nation for eight years but had been criticised for endemic corruption and chronic underdevelopment
