by KEVIN PAMBA
The positive aspects of the State of Emergency in SHP
THE Supreme Court ruling against the
State of Emergency (SoE) in Southern Highlands province does not
negate the reasons that prompted the National Government to
introduce it.
What the ruling points out though, is that the National Government
misapplied the SoE provision of the law on what would have been
better handled by its normal administrative, management and
policing processes through the appropriate agencies including the
police.
The misapplication of the SoE speaks volumes of the kind of advice
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and his Cabinet, have been
receiving from their band of advisers lately. That though, is
another matter that is in the hands of the Grand Chief and his
National Alliance party and their coalition partners.
But that should not clout the reasons that compelled the
Government to act on the problems in SHP.
Responsible people will not mix the positive impact of the SoE in
SHP for politics or personal interest.
The legality of the SoE aside, much good was achieved in the
province during the operation since last August — something the
so-called “normal” Government processes and systems could not
yield.
The National Government and its instrumentalities, particularly
the security forces, thus must be given credit.
I travelled through parts of the province during the Christmas
holidays and a general feeling of peace and order prevailed. This
was hardly the case prior to August 2006. The air of peace and
order was because of the presence of the security forces – people
found it free to move out and about and do their normal business
as they knew security was guaranteed.
The decision of the National Government to retain the security
forces in Southern Highlands and continue with the fraud
investigations is in the best interest of not just the province
but the future of the country.
The issues that prompted the Government to declare a SoE in the
province are of national importance in terms of good governance
and respect for the rule of law and set procedures and processes
of government.
The trouble-makers — both violent and fraudulent — in SHP have
demonstrated that they have little or no regard for the rule of
law and what responsible citizens consider as the “normal” police
or Government administrative operations or processes.
As widely highlighted by concerned citizens and leaders, spurts of
violence, intimidation, coercion and blatant disregard for the
rule of law, particularly in fraudulent access to State funds and
property, had been the order of the day prior to August 2006.
Only spineless individuals with no moral conscience and have
something to hide will deny this.
The handling of SHP is a litmus test for not just the Somare
Government but the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, on how
it can deal with groups of individuals who can rise up and bend
rules and procedures as they wish for their own selfish benefits.
The problems in SHP are centred on groups of individuals
demonstrating that they can do as they wished with little or no
respect for the rule of law, particularly in the access of State
funds and property.
The Government will fail this country if it mishandles SHP and let
the province revert back to a situation of the failed elections of
2002 or even far worse than that considering the huge arms
build-up and the fact that it has created ‘enemies’ with the
introduction of the SoE.
