Papua New Guinea hosts world leaders from the United States in President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in less than two weeks time.
There will be 18 other Pacific Island leaders also in Port Moresby.
But the key government ministry who should be at the helm facilitating and leading the meetings is in turmoil with resonating calls for its Foreign Affairs Minister Justine Tkatchenko to resign.
The calls from the public on social media and now Vanimo Green River Open MP Hon. Belden Namah is resounding.
Namah is also Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Immigrations and Defence and he is issuing the call for Tkatchenko to resign as minister, MP and renounce his PNG citizenship.
Tkatchenko is a naturalised citizen and the calls for his resignation stem from his comments on ABC's Pacific Beat labelling Papua New Guineans who criticized his daughter Savannah for posting a video on social media TikTok doing shopping at Singapore's airport and then to London for the coronation of King Charles III as extravagant, waste of tax payer funds.
Tkatchenko has defended his daughters post and told the Post Courier he would not resign.
He told Post Courier the trip was not funded by public funds but later told ABC's Pacific Beat, it was funded by taxpayers.
Namah has called for his resignation after Tkatchenko allegedly labelled Papua New Guineans as “useless people” and “primitive animals” on ABC.
"I am calling on the Foreign Affairs Minister to confirm or deny that he uttered those descriptions of citizens of Papua New Guinea which has been kind enough to offer him naturalized citizenship.
"If he has indeed uttered those despicable words then I am calling on Justin Tkatchenko to immediately resign as Foreign Affairs Minister and as Member of Parliament and further renounce his citizenship.
"The “useless people” and “primitive animals” of this country have ensured he grew his business, gave him a wife, offered him citizenship, elected him into public office, made him a minister and sent him and his daughter to London.
"Alternatively, I am calling on the Prime Minister to sack him immediately and withdraw his citizenship.
"I am also calling on the Immigration Minister to direct the Chief Migration Officer to immediately call a Citizenship Board Meeting to deal with Justin Tkatchenko. The Agenda of the meeting should be Justin Tkatchenko breaching citizenship laws, rules and regulations of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
"As to the TikTok video, it just reveals the kind of shallow mentality and disregard for Papua New Guineans that the minister must have inculcated in his family. It is unfortunate.
The name of the video says it all: #aussiesinengland. Send them to Australia if that is who they are," Namah said.
Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang has also said Tkatchenko's comments were irresponsible and he agrees the Minister should resign. He told Pacific Beat.
Lelang said the words used promote segregation during pre independence era.
Prime Minister James Marape has not released a statement yet.
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