If we can’t change the government, let’s change the prime minister
03 November 2018
SIR MEKERE MORAUTA MP
PORT MORESBY - The merger of PNG Party with the National Alliance is a very clear demonstration of the Opposition’s determination to do everything in its power to change the prime minister.
I am very happy to join National Alliance along with my PNG Party colleagues and together work with like-minded members on the other side to replace the prime minister.
The National Alliance is a well-established party with a record of stability and competent management. it has some outstanding members of parliament in its ranks.
PNG Party has a record of undertaking reform and restoring the country to good health following the havoc caused by a previous People’s National Congress government.
Papua New Guineans must now stand up and take the opportunity offered by this merger to talk to like-minded members of parliament on the government benches to work with the opposition to replace the prime minister.
We know that there are some very good members on the other side, even in PNC, who want change as they know that this prime minister is not fit to run the country.
They feel trapped by the prime minister’s net, and we want to assure them that there is a way out. We don’t want to change the government; we want to change the prime minister. He is our common enemy.
I am urging Papua New Guineans to come out and tell Peter O’Neill that enough is enough. He has been given enough opportunity – six years - to repair the country and change course from the path of destruction he has set. But we cannot put up with him any longer.
It is a public shame that polio and leprosy had returned to Papua New Guinea; that there were drug shortages all over the country; that teachers had suffered a pay cut and that schools were closing.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has the hide to order 800 vehicles for APEC, including luxury Bentleys and Maseratis, begging other APEC countries to fund this self-glorification project.
What about the people?
Papua New Guinea cannot afford to host APEC in the manner it has.
It has been used as an opportunity to pour K3 billion into a bucket with plenty of holes.
I am calling on the prime minister to account for every toea he has spent on APEC. Papua New Guineans deserve to know. And I am sure the taxpayers of the APEC countries that have supported the hosting of this APEC would also like to know.
The strengthened Opposition will bring extra focus on the problems with APEC, and more general issues brought about by Mr O’Neill’s corruption, waste and mismanagement.
The two parties combined bring an unparalleled set of skills and experience and provide the best hope Papua New Guinea has to repair the damage of the last six years.
Upon due reflection, has there ever been a multi tribal nation artificially constructed by colonial powers, drawing borders to suit themselves but encompassing more than one ethnic grouping, that has not had civil wars and is now tranquil? Look at China.
The UK is a classic example where the English are for Brexit and the Celtic periphery are against.
What caused the UK to be looked on as one country? Well actually it’s not. Unless there is a strong need to keep together (read external threat), the tendency is always to want to split up and fracture along ethnic lines.
Unless a new nation is formed from many different ethnic backgrounds where none is dominant, there will be no central spirit of allegiance develop. Even the US had its own civil war and those tensions are not over to this day.
Australia is one of the few nations where, so far, the nation has been able to juggle regional loyalties together with a developing national pride.
Therefore we, or our politicians, got it wrong over PNG. We just expected the same national feelings to evolve as they did in Australia. That was never going to happen and the politicians at the time steadfastly refused to listen to the few of us who tried to explain what it was like at the kunai roots.
Look at just about every other nation made up of various tribal and ethnic groupings. Most only remain together due to tight military control and often are the source of continual conflict and warfare. Just look at the Middle East, Nigeria or dare I say, nations to our near north.
The obvious conclusion would seem to be that the only way PNG will remain as a nation of collective regional and tribal allegiances is if it is run by a strong dictator who controls the military and police forces.
Q.E.D. That’s where the place has either gone or is going. It’s just taken its own time to evolve in the same way as most other false national constructs.
Perhaps we, on the other hand, just find that fact very hard to accept.
Posted by: Paul Oates | 05 November 2018 at 08:44 AM
Johnny, I suggest one of the biggest hurdles facing political leadership in PNG is Tribalism.
Politicians from one regional block may not be respected or accepted by another.
The balancing act to gain control and therefore government only transcends clan, tribe and regions occurs after those individuals who are lucky enough to be elected are then are available to be offered positions and power.
Incumbency often helps due to available resources and influence but the roots of any true inspirational PNG leader has yet to be established. Michael Somare had some respect due to his historical place in national history yet he found it difficult to gain total ascendancy over all regional leaders.
Traditional village fight leaders were only chosen for a time of conflict and there were very few traditional leaders who were recognized outside of their own community. The 'Trobes' comes to mind and maybe some on the Gazelle Peninsular. Mostly traditional leadership in PNG was by consensuses.
Posted by: Paul Oates | 04 November 2018 at 07:27 PM
Just curious, can anyone point to any charismatic leaders in the current mix who may be able to galvanise support for a change, as Paul suggests?
Posted by: Johnny Blades | 04 November 2018 at 06:50 PM
I think there's a hidden message here Paul.
Sir Mekere Morauta seems to be saying that the leader of the government is now a much more powerful person than ever before and certainly more powerful than a conventional prime minister should ever be.
I'm not sure this is a reassuring message. It seems to indicate that the prime minister's position is beginning to resemble that of a dictator.
_________
The messaging coming from PNG at present is that the prime minister's position is coming under threat from some on his own side and the opposition seems to be reacting to this by a re-alignment of their own ranks - KJ
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 03 November 2018 at 08:44 AM
Sorry Sir Mekere, this plea like all the former ones, will all on deaf ears.
Why? Well there’s two main reasons.
Firstly, those politicians who might be tempted to change allegiance will only do so if they feel their ‘opportunities’ under a new leader are better than those at present.
Secondly, the vast majority of PNG people have lost any hope in a change of direction. Examples like conducting strike action will never amount to much since it only ‘possibly’ affects those in metropolitan areas. Perhaps one could even be churlish enough to suggest that there might not seem to be too much difference during a strike than there is every day anyway?
Changing to a new leader is no guarantee to effecting political change any. Just look at Australia in recent years.
Before there can be any change in leadership worth the effort, there has to be a clear-cut break from the past and the promise of something better.
Exactly how would a change of leadership in PNG effectively change the malaise and corruption currently ruining the country?
While it’s true that the disease starts at the top, there are too many now who owe their allegiance to political appointments and would therefore fear retribution and dismissal if there was a change in direction.
To effect a real change and one that is sustainable, there has to be a strong, charismatic leader who can gain the trust of a majority of followers to support a change. There has to be a clear and believable promise that things will be different and better than they are now.
The only way I can see that ever happening is to promise a believable sunset and sunrise promises for all PNGians.
A ‘sunset’ promise saying that who benefited before that change will not suffer and a ‘sunrise’ promise that everyone will simply be better off after the change.
With believable promises like these, maybe a change could be accepted and effected.
Keep it simple and don’t get bogged down in detail.
Posted by: Paul Oates | 03 November 2018 at 08:21 AM