To Somare, with thanks

BY ANTHONY SIL
DEAR Grand Chief,
With reverence and humility, we want to say thank you for your great service to the country.
In the maze of time and shifting memories, our journey with you has been eventful, from multiethnic-tribal enclaves to a nation-state.
We hold you in the highest esteem from the highlands to the coasts. You are truly the father of the nation.
In our tribal enclaves and lack of political consciousness, we had no sense of nationalism, until we heard you voicing your concerns in 1964 through the Bully Beef Club into the 1970s through Pangu and the Constitutional Planning Committee – telling us to stand up and unite as one nation towards political independence.
You were even protective over us when you went against the idea of a referendum, which you said will only confuse and divide us – and instead you mobilised the Members of House of Assembly to vote for Independence upon the Final CPC Report in 1974.
You were there for us with vision.
The world knows us because you confidently voiced our concerns at international forums with vigor, tact and strategy. At the domestic level you mobilised and groomed young politicians, not by coercing or imposing on them, but by arguing objectively and consulting with them. In doing so you imparted wisdom, of which many are unconscious to admit, or take for granted as would any youngster to an elder.
We also had our moments of quarrels. At times some of us gave up on you, not because we hated or mistrusted you, but simply we were driven by our own agendas – as grown up educated and confident aspiring leaders.
Of course this is what you wanted to see when it was only you and few others who were caretakers in the early years. Yet in all walks of PNG life we have always entrusted our welfare and security to you, as would all sons and daughters to their father.
Peace and prosperity
We also had our moments of peace and prosperity. We tasted the fruits of our hard work, and planted the seeds on the cha lenges so they can germinate into opportunities. Some challenges have been expensive lessons indeed.
We are not a failed state, as some foreign critics claimed authority in labeling us, as once did Captain Cook that we were in perpetual disorder.
Their penmanship and verbal eloquence can never capture the soul of our heritage, which is the bedrock of our national pride and resilience.
As much as outsiders may see our landmass on world the map as small, we are much bigger and volatile in terms of our multiethnic societies, striving in unity to give meaning to text book definitions of political words like, ‘nation-state’, ‘nationalism’ and ‘sovereignty’.
We exist, we live and come what may—we do things our way. In all our endeavors you have been our beacon – the source of our strength.
Future generations will continue to seek wisdom in your words in the scrolls of our Constitution and political chronicles.
Corruption
However, we do admit that Wantok System breeds corruption, and is of grave concern.
Being decisive against opportunity costs, to achieve a greater good, is a quality many of us are yet to acquire.
As you can see Grand Chief, political cronies and naïve politicians these days are more into propagating smokescreens and shroud-waving to divert public outcry against controversies.
Whilst the national budgets give us hope, the management system of public funds leaves much to be desired. Obviously we have a lot to improve on in our aspirations as technocrats and politicians.
It is our sincere hope that we will make corruption a thing of the past by 2030.
Peter O’Neill started with the establishment of an Investigation Task Force Sweep, but as you know he could not allow the animal to bite his hand.
The O’Neill-Government’s media statements to establish an Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) only had the people oscillating between hope and despair.
However, there is now a renewed hope and confidence in the Marape-Government. We hope Marape will move with speed to operationalise the ICAC with funding so it can carry out its mandate on a progressive momentum.
This is perhaps a top priority agenda that can give credence to the slogan “Take Back PNG”.
On the other hand, we must not be afraid to espouse new homegrown philosophies to define ourselves.
Melanesian ideology
If wantok system has compromised democracy, it has complemented our Melanesian ideology. But if it has compromised both, it provides a ground for us to weave and fine-tune a highbred mode of existence.
Aristotle and Socrates never defined democracy in the absolute, nor are America and Britain perfect democracies.
China on the other hand, was a great teacher long before Europe’s Industrial Revolution, and still is, in our time of Information Revolution.
Yet we have been the earliest on par with the Mesopotamian civilisation.
The art of living within a realm of democratic legislative framework can never be absolute against the inherent attribute of human beings, always in relentless pursuit to claim their unlimited needs and wants till mortality embrace them.
Thus the constitutional-order of any state is vulnerable to become ‘obsolete’ if its power of sanction is let to be compromised by those entrusted with the responsibility to enforce.
We have amply demonstrated that during successive governments over the years.
Fine-tuning the Constitution would need not only intellectual resilience and eclectic approaches against the challenges that time has brought forth, but also dedicated and honest individuals in the public service.
Democracy and tradition
We must now seek to promote a balance between democracy and tradition. Our weaknesses must be circumscribed by our strengths to define ‘order’ based on interdependence, equality and unity.
You have displayed great statesmanship over the last 50 years or so. No politician should just demand or claim your blessings to take over leadership just because he thinks he has the genes, qualifications, qualities and experiences.
One can be Prime Minister, but he will not match your sublime rarity in the craft of conflict resolution, wisdom, resilience, vision and prevalence that define your art of statesmanship through progressive experiences that have accumulated over the years.
The tasks and responsibilities of a political leader, especially a Prime Minister, are mammoth that your immeasurable experience and outlook now become the radar at hand for new leaders.
At this time we do acknowledge James Marape as Prime Minister following the recent Vote of No Confidence.
Marape is now the captain, to take the ship forward in traversing uncharted waters of globalisation in pursuit of our destiny.
Statesmanship of the matter, is for the pages of history to judge, but for what the present is worth, Marape’s crusade to ‘Take Back PNG and make it the richest black nation in the world denotes a protectionist approach against internal and external exploitations of state resources and funds.
The slogan also connotes trust and hope in his leadership. Although hindsight is proverbially cheap, it is safe to say that by 2022 the Marape-Government will produce positive outcomes from addressing our development challenges.
It gives much contentment, to see the last O’Neill Government and now the Marape Government carrying out the development policies you put in place, namely, Vision 2050 and Development
Strategic Plan 2030 with four five-year development plans.
It is truly the highest level of statesmanship to harness state policy capability.
Grand Chief, we thank the people of East Sepik for their undying support and respect for you. Your
achievements are theirs as much as yours, but more important, the country’s.
The pride is theirs, yet we voice our claim too because, you personify our nation, our sovereignty and our Melanesian ways.
A true lady
In your standing as we hold in the highest esteem, there has always been your dear wife, Lady
Veronica, who from the moment she said yes to you in marriage, has always been there for you, come rain or sun – driving you forward and giving you the assurance you need.
We do hereby acknowledge your lady of grace, wisdom, strength and stability, who in every sense of the word personify the expression Behind every successful man, there is a woman
Thank you Lady Veronica for showing young leaders – many of whom just want more wives to make them men, but they look pitiful, unfulfilled and restless into deep lunacy with their cowboy hats.
Grand Chief, in your moments of transition we are with you in hearts and hands joined to safeguard the covenant of unity and Independence you gave us.
Your sandals are too big for our feet. We can only follow your foot prints, with our backs against the walls of your legacies and our focus on your Development Strategic Plan 2030 and Vision 2050.
You have assured us that you will be with us for the next 50 years!
It means in our time you served us for 100 years! Generations thereafter, will always remember you as the greatest statesman of all time.
Thank you, Grand Chief.

•  Anthony Sil is a political scientist and freelance consultant.