Haggai: Mediation is best option

By GABRIEL LAHOC
MEDIATION is the best option for Peter O’Neill and Sir Michael Somare to resolve their political power struggle.
Former Morobe premier and Salamaua local level government president Joshua Haggai said a mediation process involving neutral bodies especially from overseas “will quell any worsening scenarios that can arise from this political power struggle to run the country”.
“I make this point because as a leader, I fear and do not want to see social unrest in the country in the coming weeks,” he said.
He said the three arms of government and individuals serving in these three arms had since August overstepped their boundaries, contradicted themselves and compromised their positions.
He said the alignment of the governor-general and the parliament speaker meant there was no neutrality with leaders losing trust in themselves.
Haggai favoured Australia diplomats and their negotiating team to step in because Australia had been the colonial administrator of the country.
“The two other options mostly related to each other are for a grand coalition between the two parties and for either O’Neill or Somare to give in and step aside,” he said.
“These sacrifices have to be done because the more struggle there is between them, the people of PNG will be held at ransom.”
He said if the stand-off continued, “the unimaginable will happen and it will directly affect the nation where lives will be lost”.