PNG Politics #Freedom Of Speech

 An opportunist at the cost of Papua New Guinea's future

Published on October 16, 2019

1. Introduction

I am a proud Papua New Guinean who will always stand very tall to speak boldly, loudly and clearly, knowing that PNG has one of the best democracies in the Commonwealth (not withholding other cross-cutting issues). With human decency, I wish therefore to make this commentary on my observations on the saga of the attempted arrest of the former Prime Minister of PNG, Peter O’Neill, officially known as Peter Charles Paire O'Neill. I hereby argue that this recent saga is a critical history in PNG’s political development with heightened evidence of corruption and power manipulation at the expense of PNG’s potential to develop and fully use its natural, human and social resources to be a prosperous country.

2. Reflection on political manipulation

According to evidence available so far, O’Neill had calculated personal agenda when he entered the floors of PNG’s parliament as open member for Ialibu Pangia, Southern Highlands Province in 2002. O’Neill was trusted to a portfolio as Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations by the government when Sir Michael Somare was Prime Minister of PNG then. However, O’Neil had other ideas. O’Neill resigned to the post of Minister for Public Service, only to get dropped from cabinet in 2004. This was an opportunity for O’Neill to join the opposition just to stroll his way up to becoming the leader of the opposition. However, when he was not recognised by the Speaker of the Parliament, O’Neill defended his motives by mounting a vote of no-confidence, sadly without success. However, the man was all the more determined and didn’t give up. After the 2007 general elections, O’Neil crossed floors over to Somare camp and once again was trusted to the ministry of Public Service. We can see from this trace that, O’Neill has been on a mission for his own. He was never going to give up. No road block was going to stop him. He foresaw his green pasture on the other side. He foresaw the land of milk and honey even before he was conceived. O’Neil was never satisfied with this ministry because he knew he had to be more innovative in accomplishing his mission to the promised land. When he was again appointed as Minister for Finance in 2010, the floodgates opened for O’Neill. Somare fell ill and got hospitalized overseas. O’Neill vied for the top job and he was now on a mission with more fire power than ever before.

One politician, Sam Abal probably saw what was coming or from ignorance demoted O’Neil from Finance Minister to Works portfolio when Abal was appointed to act as Prime Minister in the sick absence of Sir Michael Somare in 2011. This was empowerment for O’Neil to be more determined in his strategy to get to his promised land. In 2011, he joined a movement to unseat Prime Minister Michael Somare who was ill in Singapore. He was then elected by the National Parliament as Prime Minister with 70 of the 94 votes cast. His position was however challenged in several ways. Michael Somare was also Governor of East Sepik Province and the provincial government challenged O'Neill in the courts, and Somare himself also did after returning from Singapore. The Supreme Court ruled that Somare was the legitimate Prime Minister, creating the 2011-2012 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis. O’Neill refused to leave his position, and the Governor General decided as a consequence to call new elections.

We know that in 2012, O’Neill was asked to form government with support from not only his own party which didn’t have majority but from other minor coalitions. This coalition contained three ex-prime ministers, among whom was Michael Somare. O’Neill remained in power for the parliamentary term from 2012–2017. A Vote of No Confidence was mounted against the Government, which was granted after a Supreme Court intervention. O’Neill gathered the support of 85 MPs, with 21 in opposition. By the end of 2016, 25 MPs had crossed the floor and joined PNC, giving them a total of 52 MPs. Several challenges were mounted including in 2017 by Sir Mekere Mourata. However, each time, O’Neil rose to the top and won with majority. Well, by then the man had already established his groundwork. He was the father of the house, seated on the rightful throne.

2018 was different with the debate of the PNG’s natural resources on the floors of the highest house of the land. The O’Neill/Abel government was 18 moths in office in 2019 and the grace period in which votes of no confidence were prohibited was over. MPs had by then defected from the government and the most prominent among them was the minister of finance, James Marape. O’Neil resorted as before to parliamentary rules to procrastinate the vote of no confidence. He took the vote of no-confidence to the courts multiple times, manipulated the process to his own selfish image by hijacking the constitution of the land, for example by nominating Sir Julius Chan as his successor when he had be dethroned. In his defeat on the floors of parliament coupled with public pressure and media influence, O’Neil fought to the last breath for his ego. That is because he had already reached the promised land. He had touched, tasted, collated, and accumulated his milk and honey. The last fight was for the ego.

3. Conclusion: milk and honey

Peter Charles Paire O'Neill’s rise to the top throne in the most important house in the land between 2012-2018 and half of 2019 was when PNG was rife entering into prosperity in terms of economic, social and political affluence. We had PNGLNG getting stronger and robust, the Asia Pacific Economic Corporations (APEC) was hosted in PNG worth several millions of international finances. We also had the 2017 earthquake in Hela, Southern Highlands, Gulf, Enga and Western Provinces which attracted billions of bilateral and multi-lateral aid. These to mention a few as to write full details of every development phase would demand a bigger article.

We do not have reports of developments which the PNG public ought to know and are entitled to. From the dealings of institutional manipulation through to sell off of natural resource policy decision-making through to accountability to international bilateral and multilateral funding; O’Neill has thoroughly buried it all. He has accomplished his mission. He played his game well. He is a happy man. The recent post by the Commander of Police on O’Neill’s and his denial and arrogant fight back is his struggle for his ego. He has milk and honey that he vied for. And we PNG are the losers. Is he above the law? My war cry and it should be for all young Papua New Guineans is that once and for all, O’Neill needs to be prosecuted. And we call on him to comply with legal proceedings.

Notes

This article is published on PNG Attitude:

https://www.pngattitude.com/2019/10/the-opportunist-who-came-now-must-go.html