Old PNG politics style has to go

PAPUA New Guineans are prepared to move forward in all aspects of national development, but it seems political leadership wants to remain taciturn and stick to the same old game.
What was thought to be the old political way of rewarding loyalists and penalising opponents is still very much alive if comments in the media by two MPs are anything to go by.
From recent media reports, Menyamya and Yangoru MPs have openly announced their resignation from their party, currently in the Opposition, over the delayed release or withholding of the much publicised district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds.
Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip on Wednesday announced his resignation from the People’s National Congress party, citing the lack of Government funding for projects in his electorate as the main reason.
“I have yet to receive funding for the delivery of services to the people of Menyamya.”
He claimed DSIP funding and other funding due to the district had been withheld since 2017.
“The longer I remain in Opposition, the longer I will not receive any funding for the district.”
Yangoru-Saussia MP Richard Maru recently announced his resignation from the same party for the same reason.
“I cannot continue to play politics while my people suffer,” he said.
“In the last 18 months, the Government has not released any funds.
“I need to work with the Government to bring in more investors for projects, especially agriculture.
“I’m not going to join Government, but sit in the middle benches to help with major reforms in building the economy.”
If that is the case, then the inequality in the funding for districts is a serious issue.
DSIP and provincial services improvement programme funds are specifically allocated to deliver services to our grassroots people.
We hope whatever explanations that will be offered by the relevant government authorities on the delay are the entire truth.
Is it a coincidence that the electorates represented by the Opposition MPs, who are the strongest critics of the Government, have had their DSIP payments withheld?
Usually, the use of provincial and district service improvement programme funds are a yardstick to rate the performance of MPs in elections.
A MP’s first duty is to his or her electorate and it is their responsibility to ensure that government services, programmes and projects are efficiently and effectively delivered to the people.
That is the general assumption but the actual disbursement of these funds has been far from straightforward; some districts
and provinces have not been paid all their dues and when they expected.
Unfortunately, in the current PNG political context, this entails membership of the ruling regime or proven support from the back benches.
Nonetheless, every MP’s duty to the country should remain paramount and he or she should indulge in discussions and debates on issues of concern to the nation.
If PNG politics operated in the true spirit of fairness and equality, there would always be a fair and equitable distribution of our national wealth, irrespective of which side of the Parliament benches our MPs sat in.
That may be wishful thinking at this point in time but not an impossibility with the new breed of leaders who have entered the political arena.