Namah must respect rule of law

 THE current political melodrama is taking new twists and turns almost daily.

While our national and international audiences watch in awe, our leaders continue to play their ominous political games with great fervour.

On Friday, Opposition leader Belden Namah continued his onslaught on the O’Neill Government and its agencies by threatening to have Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga arrested for perverting the course of justice.

In a no-nonsense letter to the police chief, Namah said he was “aggrieved that you have taken action to pervert justice” by restricting police investigations and suspending four police officers who were assigned to investigate his complaint against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. He requested Kulunga to reinstate the police officers within 24 hours of delivery of his letter and to give them exclusive use of police assets to assist them to perform their duties.

“Failure to accede to my request will result in me taking unprecedented measures to have you arrested and charged under Section 128 of the Criminal Code,” Namah warned Kulunga.

Section 128 deals with a person who conspires with another to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the course of justice. 

The penalty is a maximum jail term of seven years.

Namah even reproduced Section 128 in his letter to Kulunga “for your benefit”.

Kulunga responded immediately and ordered police to arrest the opposition leader for “issuing threats” against him.

“We are fed up with the tantrums of the opposition leader who is acting like an impatient, insensitive and thoughtless child. 

“He does not respect the rule of law nor does he respect the systems and processes in place,” he said in a media statement on Saturday.

Kulunga added: “The opposition leader thinks he can take on the roles and responsibilities of everyone. Here he is a complainant, an investigator, a prosecutor and now he wants to be the judge.”

Interestingly, the prime minister had warned last Thursday that his arch rival’s persistent attacks on lawful and due process was “very destructive” to the nation.

“Namah must allow police and other agencies of law to do their jobs without his constant threat, intimidation and coercion,” O’Neill said in a media statement.

Namah may have played into the hands of his arch rival by taking a swipe, deliberate or otherwise, at the police commissioner.

As O’Neill said, “Namah’s obsession with me is understood, but he has to act like a leader of the opposition who respects the rule of law.”

The letter to Kulunga proves O’Neill’s point that Namah has little or no respect for authority, rule of law and due process.

Did Namah think that he could threaten Kulunga – the country’s top law enforcer – and get away with it? It is foolhardy even to contemplate writing such a letter. While he does not view the letter as a threat, the opposition leader will have to face the consequences of his indiscretion when the law catches up with him.

There are many citizens who support Namah’s bold stand against corruption but they will not necessarily sympathise with him following his threat against the police commissioner. 

As the alternate prime minister, Namah needs to rethink his strategies and get back on the right track. 

He needs to reorganise and strengthen the opposition with plans to boost their numbers during the remainder of the current Parliament and after the next general election in 2017.

Namah cannot afford to continue on his destructive path because that will only lead to his self-destruction. 

He has lost many young and vibrant leaders to the government ranks, which should be sufficient reason for him to change his tactics and the way he plays the political game.

By the same token, Namah must be mindful of the effects of his recent actions on Papua New Guinea’s image and its standing in the global community. 

Undoubtedly, his actions would have caused much anxiety within the local business community and among foreign investors. 

With the impending economic boom, it is imperative that our leaders stop their petty political games and work together to ensure the country and citizens fully benefit from the significant growth and prosperity that are forthcoming.