Papua New Guinea's Parliament has now twice refused to entertain a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister, Michael Somare, and this underrmining investor confidence according to the  world's leading economic and financial analysis firm.

IHS Global Insights, says Parliament's rejection of the no-confidence motion in the Prime Minister raises "real questions about the long-term stability of the country's political system" and "adds weight to claims that the government is manipulating the system to maintain its hold on power"

At a time when corruption and inefficiency could prove significant issues, a decline in Parliamentary scrutiny does not bode well for the country

This analysis is all contained in a briefing paper issued by IHS last week on Parliament's rejection of the no-confidence motion - which Somare has now dodged twice.

The motion was first tabled in Parliament in July, but speaker Jeffery Nape controversially adjourned Parliament before allowing the motion to be debated.

That adjournment last four months until Parliament was forced to sit two weeks ago for the government to table its annual budget. But the Speaker again avoided taking any action on the motion - this time by chairing a committee that ruled the motion invalid.

IHS says "the situation bodes poorly for the country... It also suggests the opposition is declining in effectiveness and may be less able to hold the government to account"

IHS Global Insight employs more that 300 professional analysts around the world and its clients include most major corporations as well as governments.