Numbers game begins

Editorial

ALL eyes will be on the Speaker’s seat when parliament sits today for it is the key to the formation of the 11th government of Papua New Guinea.
The business of electing a Speaker is pivotal to every other ensuing parliamentary business including the election of a prime minister.
And the Pangu grand coalition leader James Marape who had been invited to form the next government is playing very close to his chest the identity of the next speaker of the house.
The one who will hold the speaker’s mace may have already been decided at the coalition camp at Loloata more likely though, only Marape and a few close confidantes know who it will be.
So, what moves political parties and MPs in one direction and not the other (i.e to Loloata and not elsewhere?) Quality of leadership?
Performance track record?
Binding contract?
Quick election expenses refund?
Attractive policies?
What?
Seems there are only two options at the moment.
Why just two?
Why not three or more camps?
Indeed, each party and independent MP should move to their individual corners.
The Governor-General always invites the political party with the biggest number of members elected, not the largest camp, to form government.
The Prime Minister will be elected will be elected on the floor of Parliament at its appointed time – that is this Tuesday.
Why are grown men rushing discretely into camps under tight escort immediately after declaration as if the hordes out of hell were after them? What is the rush?
Here is a piece of advice: Take your time.
Fly into Port Moresby and stay
at home, with friends or at a
hotel.
If you are a member of a party, join that party which should stay in its own corner if it has any credibility at all.
Recollect your composure after the madness of the elections.
Savour your election victory.
Send a message of thanks to your people across the media and promise to work for everybody, not just your voters.
That will calm the tensions at your electorate.
And especially take this time to weigh the pros and cons of joining one side or the other.
Look at the quality of leadership, the experience, the policies offered by either side.
Do they match or nearly match your own policies and aspirations?
Then, having had that benefit and with that glowing satisfaction of having resisted all the dangling carrots and ministry offers and what-have-you, you can proudly announce that you are joining one side or the other and state your reasons why and stride publicly to join the side of your choice with head held high, with dignity and with pride.
That is true leadership and credible and wise decision making.
That is the leadership your people would want to see.
Alas, this was not to be.
In their very first decision most MPs have besmirched their good names and those of their people.
By their rush they have become followers, not leaders in the eyes of many.
It is not hard to see what manner of MPs have just emerged from this fiasco of an election and how the future 11th Parliament and executive government is shaping up to be.
Can we expect this Parliament, the Golden Jubilee Parliament, to perform better than the last?
Early days yet to make any definitive judgement and this Parliament is not yet met but early indications are not encouraging for the reasons raised above.
But then this is PNG.
We can expect some surprises, hopefully good ones, and something terribly unexpected might be thrown into the clockworks.
Whatever happens today, the rule of law is there to safeguard everyone – respect institutions and systems and the processes.