O’Neill govt contradictory and hypocritical

WHEN the O’Neill go­vernment took office in August, I was much chagrined even though I was not impressed by the Somare government.
The opposition could not budge the Grand Chief from government while he was in good health.
It had to wait until he was in a coma before attempting a most audacious and unconstitutional grab at his seat.
And they would have gotten away with it had not been for the supremacy of our Constitution.
Realising its illegitimacy, the government began a deliberate campaign carefully orchestrated to discredit the head of the judiciary.
It was a cheap shot.
The O’Neill regime was contradictory and hypocritical to say the least.
It professed to be fighting corruption yet it needed to go into bed with the speaker.
It said it respected the rule of law, yet it tried to delay the Supreme Court’s decision.
It blamed the Somare government for all our woes, yet its cabinet contained almost all the players from the last government.
In a paltry subterfuge, it attempted to consign all blame for nine years of transgression on Sir Michael, Paul Tiensten and Arthur Somare.
The Somare government was composed of almost 60 ministers and vice-ministers, many of whom (including O’Neill himself) formed the core of the O’Neill government.
The events of Aug 2 left me no doubt the legacy of Sir Michael will live long in the annals of our history.
During a tumultuous period when he was personally attacked and hu­miliated, the Grand Chief allowed the law to take its course.
In a final and shameless act of sheer contempt of the Supreme Court, O’Neill and Nape facilitated the former’s election as prime minister in total defiance of the Supreme Court ruling.
The O’Neill government has been weighed and found wanting.

Daniel Hasimani
Goroka