Congratulations, Somare and O’Neill

Letters, Normal
Source:

The National, Monday 19th December 2011

I WOULD like to extend my congra­tulations to Sir Michael Somare and Peter O’Neill for doing what no other politician before them has done – turning this country into a laughing stock of the Pacific.
They have undermined the integrity of the highest court in PNG, abused and misused parliament.
Together and singularly, they have encouraged and supported the oscillating position of the parliamentary speaker who has no qualms in breaching the integrity of the position for his own interest.
When one speaks of these “factions” one must look carefully for I am sure that many on one faction are the same that were on the other faction prior to Aug 2.
Are they not the same MPs who, under the Somare regime, broke the same parliamentary rules as is happening now?
Apart from the atrocious situation in Zimbabwe, no parliamentary speaker in any Westminster-derived parliament has abused his “power” such as this one.
He has made a mockery of the system.
The current political impasse is just like two schoolboys fighting over the football in the playground.
They do not care for their surrounds or, in this case, the people.
They have lost sight of why they are there, which is not to build empires or bathe in glory.
They are there for the people and it is the people that make PNG great and the people will determine who represents them in four months time.
It has been clear for some time that the elder statesman is to retire.
It is also clear that this is the wish of the majority the people.
And it is also clear that doubt has now been sown into the minds of the people of the integrity of the “newer” go­vernment when they resorted to introducing in their own “government” retrospective legislation.
If we can let anyone get away with retrospective legislation, why not go back to 1973 and start again?
Of course we cannot do that.
By the same logic, no one can in all honestly, introduce retrospective le­gislation to circumvent actions already enacted.
What a disgraceful and utterly power-grabbing scam.
So I congratulate Sir Michael and O’Neill and their factions.
If they continue down this road, the whole nation will become one faction or the other and no one wants that.
This is not Rwanda.
I urge the Grand Chief to retire with dignity.
I also urge O’Neill to follow the due processes and stand proud to take over in accordance with the Constitution in four months time.

DN
Port Moresby