RECENTLY, many letters to the editor condemn the impending increase in perks and privileges of MPs. The reason for this public chorus of disapproval is pretty obvious. If the increase is passed in Parliament, the Act would become a corrupt piece of legislation.
The enactment will undeniably serve the consumer greed of MPs, while the interested of the commonwealth will become subdued.
Consumer greed is an insatiable desire and if citizens are rather silent about it, almost half of the nation’s wealth will be ripped off by MPs.
The current budget allocates K10 million to each district; the money obviously, will be at the disposal of MPs with a baggy cohort group called the Joint District Budget and Priority Committee.
Experience showed that money in the control of MPs for rural development never materialised in any form of tangible and sustainable development. And if history has it, half of this money will end up in private accounts of national parliamentarians.
It has shown over the years since independence that a career in politics was the sure way of becoming an instant millionaire. The manner in which many candidates see politics as a path to wealth and fame has destroyed the real value of politics.
Increasingly people in PNG have cultivated a misleading notion of politics as well as leadership. Thus, a major contributing factor toward political decay is when MPs are elected by means of bribery, and they think of recouping the money spent by digging deep into the coffers of the State.
The recent increase in perks is a demonstration of this syndrome.
The other obvious factor for political decay is the mistaken understanding of MPs concerning their roles and responsibilities.
It is imperative that politicians undergo training in leadership knowing very well that many politicians assume leadership positions without possessing leadership character and skill.
The first important characteristic of a leader is the ability to listen. Listening to people is a very important role of a leader because any decision a leader makes must emerge as a consensus and convergence of people’s voice. Thus, listening skills goes deeper than the level of verbal discourse.
Moreover, a leader must study the mood, the posture, read into what is unexpressed, and overall try to sense the situation people are in. Decision made in the comfort of an armchair does not reflect the true wishes of the people, and may be done according to the stirring of personal egos.
History discloses that monarchs were overthrown; revolution and anarchy became widespread as a result of leaders enriching themselves to the impoverishment of their people.
Political decadence is inevitable when MPs lose sight that they are there of and for the people.
The second important character of the leader is the ability to be equitable. A leader is not called to become selfish, but to share what is common equally among the people he or she represents. Only a selfish person receives a lion’s share of what belong to everyone.
The incident of leaders accumulating State wealth for themselves is an act unbecoming of leaders. The recent example of MPs demanding an extra K30 million onto their perks is unmerited and utterly disgraceful.
However, when looking at the PNG situation, politicians have become fat cats, feting and squandering on people’s wealth without any sense of shame. They have received a lion’s share of money to the neglect of the common people – some even may not receive a single toea.
Since our Constitution is based on traditional wisdom and Christian principle, an aspect of Christian leadership needs expounding. Any church-goers will understand the saying of Jesus: “Whoever wants to be first must be the servant of all.”
Servitude is characteristic of Christian leadership. Christians who are elected or nominated into State institutions should become servants of the people.
Moreover, MPs are given the mandate to serve the people in their respective electorate.
However, this Christian concept of leadership took time to make an appeal to common sense, and we have seen in history how oppressive and violent people with political authority became.
Riches, power and fame were centred on few individuals to the exclusion of others. The kings and nobles never conceived of being in positions to serve. It was unimaginable for a medieval king to wash the feet of a slave, despite the fact that the Christian scripture was widely read.
Thus, the action taken by Francis of Assisi and his followers at that time was revolutionary and demonstrated to the noble class the unimaginable character of political and Christian leadership.
What Francis of Assisi did was to champion the cause of the voiceless and fight the poverty resulting in inequitable sharing of the produce of the land.
The French revolution was in fact a revolt against riches and power in the hands of very few greedy monarchs, and paved the way for democracy, which is actually the triumph of people’s supremacy. It is really the authority of millions of voiceless people making their stance felt.
With the increasing development towards democracy over the last 200 years, we are able to see the ultimate victory of people’s powers and along with that came the improved understanding of what is meant to be a Christian leader.
Christian leadership simply means that those put in position of authority should see that power, dignity and the rights of every human being is respected, protected and nourished – the very reason for the existence of institutions of authority.
They have to see to it that the welfare of the people is sufficiently catered for, and that there is order and harmony in society conducive for happiness.
Among PNG politicians, we see them regress to some kind of medieval nobility who continually try to accumulate wealth and fame; not by the sword of chivalry this time, but by manipulative tactics employed to bully the simple people’s mandate. Thus, greed among leaders is the foundation for political decay in PNG.
Every five years, we vote in politicians who during that period have become rich by squandering public funds for selfish ambitions.
The recent suggestion to increase perks and privileges is nothing more than the disclosure of a political mindset developed since independence. This mindset has to be altered for genuine political growth. Otherwise, political decay is imminent.
The political stability professed by the current Government is not a true reflection of growing episodes of anarchic behaviour both in rural and urban areas where authority and law are fast disappearing into the hand of thugs.