Be prepared to sacrifice for our country’s future

ARMED with the Supreme Court (Amendment) Act, Peter O’Neill and his cohorts have made themselves supreme.
It was only a question of time, with the way this bunch of government parliamentarians have been amending, creating and twisting our country’s laws and Constitution.
Like most democratic countries, our Constitution separates the po­wers among the three arms; the le­gislative arm (parliament) that makes laws, the executive (NEC) that governs and initiates laws, and the judiciary that interprets and applies the laws.
This bunch of MPs, many of them who have swung from one tree to another, now control all three – parliament and government through their numbers, and the judiciary through the new legislations that they bulldozed through.
Indeed, the parliamentarians led
by O’Neill and Belden Namah have become the most powerful people in PNG.
The simple reality is that they can twist, turn and change any law that is not to their liking.
In doing so, they have also given students, unions and the public a clear message; you can shout, march and protest all you like, but we will do what we like.
They have deported people and even moved motions to have people arrested, which is unheard of.
They have introduced a new form of dictatorship, thanks to their  mo­ney-worshippers as well gullible and ignorant Papua New Guineans, who have allowed them to take over the government last August.
With each day, they become more entrenched, daring and powerful.
Already, we have seen what our so-called law enforcers are capable of doing and many of them are at the beck-and-call of politicians, who will pay and feed them in return.
What can we hope for in the co­ming election?
With their huge war chests, many MPs and leaders will be able to buy their way into parliament.
Where money cannot buy the votes, the end of a rifle butt may.
Rough tactics of intimidation and harassment will be used to persuade voters and to hijack ballot boxes.
Is there any hope for PNG?
We cannot look towards Australia, which has its own vested interests as seen in its eagerness to recognise the O’Neill-Namah re­gime last year even though the Constitution had been breached.
If we are to save PNG from tyranny and dictatorship in whatever form, Papua New Guineans must use our best opportunity in  June when we cast our votes.
We must not give in to bribery or threats.
Some of us may pay a heavy price, but if we love our country and if we want to leave it in good stead to our children, then we must do the right thing.

Pro-democracy
Port Moresby