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Chance for our readers to support Sam Basil

BY KEITH JACKSON

THE ACT NOW! organisation, which is working to engage Papua New Guineans in grassroots democracy and to give them a continuing voice, is sticking up for gutsy PNG politician Sam Basil.

ACT NOW! says people need to send a message to prime minister Somare “that his behaviour is being watched and that we find his arrogance and disrespect completely unacceptable”.

But the organisation is realistic and knows The Chief won’t take any notice of a message sent directly to him.

So instead, it’s asking readers to send a message of support  to Sam Basil, saying it will copy the message to the Prime Minister and some of his senior ministers.

“Sam Basil has stood out over the last three years as a shining beacon of the type of leader PNG needs,” says Act Now!

“Young and inexperienced maybe, [but] he has refused to get caught up in the mob mentality of party politics, and refused to chase the money.

“Time and again this young leader has stood up and, often alone, spoken with common sense, dignity and integrity about the important issues facing PNG.  Issues like service delivery, corruption, the Environment Act amendments and health care. 

“In speaking out, Sam Basil has shown up the hypocrisy of most MPs who stay silent, blindly follow the government so they can line their own pockets with the millions of kina that are tossed their way, and he has shown how our democracy should operate.”

That's all true. Sam Basil, readers may recall, was the MP who Michael Somare threatened to kill during last week’s stormy sitting of Parliament.

”Mi warnim yu nau, yu go arasait mi bai kilim yu,” said an infuriated prime minister. [“I am warning you, when you go outside I will kill you”]

Get Up! continues: “As we have come to expect of Mr Basil, his response to the Prime Minister was dignified and poignant. ‘If they do kill me at least I can say I stood up for this country’, he said.

"But Sam Basil does not deserve death threats, he does not deserve abuse. Sam Basil deserves the support of everyone who believes in a better future for our country.”

And Act Now! is giving people a chance to tell Sam Basil that he has their support.

PNG Attitude urges readers to add their names to the petition; it will only take a minute. Link to it here.

Comments

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Ralph Turner

I wish to contact Mr Sam Basil about the Hidden Valley tailings that are leaking continuously from the tailings dam.

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