in may 2012, he made international news when he reportedly "stunned mps" by ruling that, following the supreme court decision, that somare had been the validly elected prime minister, but could not reassume the role as he had been disqualified from parliament for missing three sittings, thereby rendering the prime minister position vacant. he initially sought to stop an immediate new vote, declaring that both somare and o'neill were "at the root of the political crisis", but relented in the face of a dissent motion in his position, leading to o'neill being re-elected in a 56-0 vote. in the same month, he crossed to the papua new guinea party ahead of the 2012 election.