Still a star away from limelight

By GYNNIE KERO
HE is no longer in the political arena but Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare remains as one of the country’s most significant and respected figures.
He turned 82 years old this week.
Born in April 9, 1936, Sir Michael was elected to the House of Assembly in 1968, well before most of our eight million Papua New Guineans were even born.
Daughter, Betha Somare who worked with her father for 22 years (1995 – 2012), says: “I’ve seen that each person has their own special relationship with him, so I believe that’s a special memory for him and a satisfying way for anyone to age.
“We’ve learnt to share him with PNG.
“Because while we are his biological children it’s heart-warming to know that so many people of this country and others who also consider PNG their home, see him as their father too.”
On April 4, it was exactly 50 years since Sir Michael Somare took his seat in the House of Assembly in Port Moresby.
After being elected as Chief Minister in 1973, he and a group of leaders then encouraged our people to gain independence.
There were many who said that Papua New Guinea could not become an independent nation for decades to come.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill when speaking at Sir Michael’s farewell from politics last year said: “The doubters said our people could not run our own affairs, could not have our foreign affairs policy, could not have our security forces, and we certainly could not have our own treasury.
“He fought against intolerance and doubt, often based on racial bias, and told the world that Papua New Guinea could and would become an independent state.
“His position was supported by so many eminent people of our nation, and he turned that support into a plan for independence.
“The special contribution of people like Sir John Guise, our first governor-general, the Right Honourable Member for New Ireland, Sir Julius Chan, or first finance minister, and so many others, in that critical period is the fact that we shall never forget.
“Many of these leading Papua New Guineans are no longer with us, but their contribution and support for independence is in the annuls of history of our nation.
“The likes of Sir Maori Kiki, Sir John Guise, Sir Thomas Kavali, Sir Iambakey Okuk, and far too many more to mention in the time before us today.
“These are the founding fathers of our nation and are immortal in our hearts.
“Their contribution laid the foundations of the great nation we continue to build today.
“But there were many elements of freedom that our people desired to be returned to the men, women and children of our land.
“It is important for every person to know that they are in charge of their own destiny.
“It is important for us to have our own government which will manage our affairs, and have the right to elect that Government of our own free will.
“With Sir Michael Somare as the driving force in the development of our national constitution, we had a remarkably smooth transition to independence.
“This was not the story of so many other countries that transitioned from colonial rule to independence in this period.
“The country’s move to independence was peaceful and organised.
“Sir Michael negotiated with the Whitlam Government in Canberra, and with the Australian Opposition led by Malcolm Fraser.
“His Government forged relations with many other great partners in the international community and the United States of America, the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia and so many others.
“He played a leading role in establishing the country’s presence in the United Nations, the Group of 77, the Melanesian Spearhead Group and the South Pacific Forum, as it was known then.
“As the head of a newly independent nation, Sir Michael Somare firmly established our presence in the global community.
“In a land of a thousand tribes, and people from such remote and diverse locations, his Government set about building a sense of national harmony.
“In the years around our first post-colonial decade, under the Government of Sir Michael Somare, followed by Sir Julius Chan, and then Paias Wingti later, they turned diversity into a united nation, O’Neill said.
I was privileged to attend Sir Michael’s 80th birthday celebrations in Wewak two years ago.
Flights into Boram airport were full bringing in representations of foreign nations and politicians to Wewak.
They went to join the Sepik people to celebrate Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s 80th birthday in Wewak.
Each of the six districts in the province presented traditional singsings and gifts such as pigs, crocodiles, yams and bilums for Sir Michael.
Groups from other provinces arrived with gifts, including the Huli wigmen from Hela who had chartered a flight to Wewak.
The Hela people thanked Sir Michael for the multi-billion kina PNG LNG project and for recognising Hela as a province.
Sir Michael, then East Sepik Governor, thanked everyone who turned up.
He also thanked former MPs who attended, including Sir Peter Barter, Sir Arnold Amet, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Sir Mekere Morauta and Sir Dadi Toka.
Sir Michael, being him, praised and encouraged everyone for the ‘spirit of togetherness’.
Sir Michael is indeed the embodiment of such togetherness.