Sir Paulias calls for calm

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 15th December 2011

By JASON GIMA WURI
FORMER governor-general Sir Paulias Matane has called for peace and calm throughout the nation and urged political leaders to uphold Christian principles in solving the current political impasse.
Sir Paulias, who visited The National office to air his concern, said political leaders needed to respect the Constitution and exercise good leadership for the sake of the people.
“The only thing that can sustain peace for everyone through this turn of political events is to exercise Christian principles and values,’’ he said.
“You have the power to maintain peace by exercising forgiveness in this most difficult of times for the nation. We are going into the Christmas and New Year period where we all want to be with family and friends to enjoy the festive season in its true spirit.”
Sir Paulias said the leaders should respect the constitution for the sake of their people in the rural areas.
“As leaders our people need us right now,’’ he said.
“I am a village boy and I have found out that almost 87 percent of the seven million of our people live in the rural areas.
“And there is absolutely no development and services in most rural areas of the country because the leaders are living their lives in the cities.”
Apart from the leaders, Sir Paulias encouraged citizens who were either professionals or retired to go back home to their villages and help their people in whatever fields they were in.
“If I can be the head of state and go back home after my term has expired to help my people in the village then I can’t see anyone else finding
it hard,” he said.
Sir Paulias said he had been receiving so many calls from people wanting him to inform them about the  current political events.
He said they did not know that he was back home in Viviran village, Toma, in East New Britain.
He arrived in Port Moresby from his village on Tuesday to keep a close watch on the current political situation.