Sam Abal

Sam Abal is a politician from Papua New Guinea.

Biography

Abal is a member of the National Alliance Party and was elected Member of Parliament for this.

On 29 August 2007 he was appointed by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration, and thus belongs to the 27- member cabinet to Somares.

In January 2009, he pleaded for a stay of Fiji in the Pacific Islands Forum, but it came on May 2, 2009 due to the conditions there to a suspension. In July 2009, he signed with the Trade Commissioner of the European Union (EU ), Catherine Ashton, a Trade and Development Agreement between the EU and Papua New Guinea.

When Michael Somare from his position in mid December 2010, his office temporarily laid down and then the official duties took up one months later, the official duties in the interim by his deputy, Sam Abal, has been done. Since April 2011, Somare was being treated in hospital because of a serious illness in Singapore. Abal represented him until the Parliament of Papua New Guinea 2 August 2011 declared the premiership as vacant, and Peter O'Neill with 70 to 24 votes elected the new prime minister. Abal had long been considered a favorite to succeed Somares. However, a murder charge against his adopted son Teo Abal made ​​him unpopular.