Brave Marape reshuffles Cabinet

INVESTORS foreign and domestic detest uncertainty and instability in a government.
They will only invest if the political climate is stable and safe, and the government can be trusted to maintain that stability and firmness in leadership into the future.
They do not want to risk pouring their money into an economy that is jittery, unpredictable and inconsistent.
Six months into his tenure as prime minister, James Marape has had ample time to assess how best to run the coalition government he leads.
He has, or should roughly have, a fair idea of a fair and workable make-up of his Cabinet.
He has been given time to do that as the man entrusted to run the nation’s affairs, even though he had been for some years a senior member of cabinet under Peter O’Neill.
He has a fair inkling of the requirements and mechanics of an effective and well-managed Cabinet.
It is not easy, as he rightfully admits, to keep all his coalition partners happy.
For example, it is hard to tell a trusted and experienced colleague such as Charles Abel that he now has to make way for someone else, not because of the latter is incompetent or had done something wrong.
But Marape has to find the right balance and workable mix from within his major coalition partners – in this case the National Alliance Party and United Resources Party. It’s important for unity and stability.
Marape knows he has to make tough decisions, even if it means losing friends and long-time confidants.
And even if it means sidelining the People’s National Congress party which had helped set up his coalition government initially.
As he says, the nation comes first.
Friends later. Political colleagues later.
For that is the mark of a good leader – to be firm, honest and above all show everyone who is in charge, and what is in the best interest of the nation.
At the end of the day, he cops the blame when things go wrong.
He cops the flak when the Government fails to serve the people.
The economy stands to benefit if national leadership is strong.
Investors keep away if it is weak. They do not want a leadership which is forever shifting the goalposts.
Marape’s decision to reshuffle his Cabinet and losing friends and colleagues in the process is a brave one.
It gives investors and the people hope and confidence in his leadership.
The nation can do with some investment to lift the economy and turn around its fortunes which has been on the floor for the past few years.
It won’t happen overnight but PNG is likely to see some economic improvement as a result of this renewed commitment to strong leadership.
The nation has to quickly get back on its feet and focus on its core duty of serving the people who decide every five years who should be leading them.
Marape only has two years to prove his quality as a leader. He has picked the team he wants.
The people in 2022 will return to the polling stations to elect the government they want.
It is up to Marape to prove to them that he has the moral courage and integrity to run the affairs of the nation.