O’Neill's end brought forth the good; now call puppets to account

By JIMMY AWAGL - PNG Attitude

KUNDIAWA – It was a lively session on the floor of parliament before the election of Papua New Guinea’s eighth prime minister a few weeks ago.

One little remarked aspect of the controversy was Madang governor Peter Yama’s words to Kerenga Kua, member for Sinesine Yongomugl in Simbu and now petroleum minister.

The remarks have drawn widespread conjecture and condemnation, especially in Simbu. from many people, where people are questioning the integrity of Yama in calling Kua a ‘liklik mangi’ [little boy] in Pidgin.

Personal interest too often ruins the public interest. Even in the heated situation of a stressful parliamentary sitting, Yama should have shown the patience of a mature leader and representative of the people of Madang.

However, he egotistically levelled this derisive remark at his political rival, Kua, who without hesitation branded him as a political puppet.

Kua took the phrase ‘liklik mangi’ as no more than political rubbish from an ant speaking on behalf of floundering prime minister Peter O’Neill as the curtains were being drawn on the previous regime.

Yama may have been agitated that proposed gifts for Madang would be shelved under the new government. So Yama’s political strategy to develop Madang may be unaccounted; perhaps it will be picked up by new police minister Bryan Kramer.

Yama calling Kua a ‘liklik mangi’ sounds disgusting as it has instigated considerable commotion. The people have expressing a sentiment that the phrase ‘liklik mangi’ as insult to the people of Sine Sine Yongomugl and PNG.

The Simbu people, who share a provincial border with Madang (we are also brothers in culture and genealogy), demanded a public apology from the Yama but to no avail so far.

Kua is small in size but has a monster in brain. Kua is an expert at using parliament as a good avenue of debate, he fears no political giant and he speaks without fear or favour when it comes to public interest and welfare.

He has evaluated Yama’s degrading remark as demeaned his, Yama’s, leadership maturity and virtue.

Kua has never been politically disloyal or a yoyo in the many indecisive moments of PNG politics. He’s a steady man and is seen by the people as being a no-nonsense person as he argues for the interests of common Papua New Guineans.

His steadfastness helped cause the O’Neill regime to collapse at the eleventh hour.

And so James Marape came to trust a ‘liklik mangi’ to apply his leadership virtues in the important petroleum portfolio for the benefit of the people of PNG. The ‘liklik mangi’ became a political giant.

The appointments from opposition benches to ministries of Kerenga Kua and Bryan Kramer bestowed confidence among elite Papua New Guineans.

Their move to the government side brought a revolution to PNG politics. It is the start of good governance as people wish it to be in the best interests of the people.

Kua and Kramer will pursue the former crooked regime. This is the long overdue cry of the PNG people - to see democracy and the constitution liberated without fear or compromise.

Any leader who has misused and misappropriated public funds must be brought to justice since this is the people’s money.

The crooks, puppets and political yoyos need to be called to account.

We do not want politicians entering parliament for greed, or who lack visionary leadership, or who are cronies and thieves defacing the sovereignty and prosperity of the nation.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/oneills-end-brought-forth-the-good-now-call-puppets-to-account.html

Interesting moves by a fresh prime minister. We wish him well

By PHIL FITZPATRICK - PNG Attitude

TUMBY BAY - Papua New Guinean politics has always been interesting to watch.

For anyone brought up under the Westminster system of government with its adversarial politics and strict rules of process what goes on in Papua New Guinea can appear both bizarre and quixotic.

On the one hand its politics conforms to the Westminster ideal but on the other it seems to owe much more to traditional clan politics.

Mixed in there too is an element of patronage and corruption imported directly from Asia.

This potpourri has now been stretched even further from the realms of possibility by the recent musical chairs surrounding the sidelining of Peter O’Neill.

The new prime minister, James Marape, has made some extraordinary choices that you just wouldn’t see in any other constitutional democracy.

He has appointed men from the opposition benches to his ministry. Imagine if that happened in Australia.

You sometimes get Australian governments appointing people from the minor parties to shore up their numbers but from the opposition almost never. The only time that has happened is during wartime.

It just happens that those men, Bryan Kramer, Kerenga Kua and Dr Lino Tom, were among O’Neill’s fiercest critics.

Has Marape given them ministries to silence or control them or has he recognised their undoubted talents? It’s an interesting question.

On top of that he has announced that he wants Papua New Guinea to become the richest black Christian nation on the planet.

Aspirations are fine, even if they are patently unachievable, but this one has some decidedly unpleasant connotations.

Why would he invoke the spectre of racism by referring to Papua New Guineans as ‘black’? Where does that leave all the other races living harmoniously in the country?

Why would he throw doubts over the separation of church and state by specifying that Papua New Guinea should be an entirely Christian nation?  What happens to all the non-Christians and those without any faith?

Why does he want Papua New Guinea to be rich? Surely he knows that wealth is no measure of a nation’s well-being.

A happy and contented people living in equitable relationships to each other is a lot more important than being merely rich. Maybe he needs to define what he means by rich.

Perhaps, like many politicians in Papua New Guinea, especially the last one, he thinks that words rather than actions are important.

Marape is still currently in a honeymoon period. He has built up the hopes of many people. On PNG Attitude we are seeing an increasing list of things that Papua New Guineans want their new prime minister to do.

These range from reinstating people treated appallingly by Peter O’Neill’s government to fulfilling some of the promises that he made but never delivered, including fixing the SABL mess, investigating the attack on students at the UPNG and setting up an ICAC.

Maybe even promoting a home grown literature in Papua New Guinea?

And, of course, the big one, finally doing something to combat the corruption that has become so ingrained it is accepted as a normal way of life.

This list is only going to grow as the months roll on and with it the pressures on the prime minister will also grow.

On top of that he’s got some pressing and unavoidable matters to deal with like the independence vote in Bougainville.

James Marape’s stated intention of charting a new course for Papua New Guinea is laudable but its grandiosity has a touch of the unbelievable.

All one can do is wish him the best of luck.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/interesting-moves-by-a-fresh-prime-minister-we-wish-him-well.html

Foreign minister Payne's PNG relationship - but no media please

By    KEITH JACKSON - PNG Attitude

NOOSA - Senator Marise Payne, Australia's foreign affairs minister, made a brief visit to Papua New Guinea and Bougainville late this week.

In Port Moresby she met with prime minister James Marape, deputy prime minister Davis Steven and a number of other ministers.

After the lightning trip, Payne issued a media release saying her visit "was an opportunity to further strengthen Australia’s relationship with our close friend and neighbour".

Of course, every time PNG is mentioned by an Australian official, there is a brag about the "relationship".

So how then does this work out in practice?

NBC radio station Tribe FM was able to tell us, reporting that the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby had told local journalists in no uncertain terms  that there would be no opportunity to ask Payne questions about her visit.

This was not the first time the High Commission has shown such gross discourtesy to the PNG media, who have previously been excluded from interviews, official lunches and even media conferences.

It was a small mercy, on this occasion, that the only foreign correspondent in PNG, Natalie Whiting, was treated no better than the domestic media. At least the bad manners were not based on ethnicity.

I can only assume Australian bureaucrats were trying to protect a rookie foreign minister from questions on PNG that, because of her inexperience, she would be unable to answer.

In a media statement Payne said she and the PNG ministers had "discussed our shared priorities and interests, such as economic and development cooperation, infrastructure initiatives, labour mobility, gender equality, and Australia’s stepped up engagement with the Pacific."

She also said, "I am particularly looking forward to seeing more Papua New Guineans working with Australian employers under the Pacific Labour Scheme." But she clearly wasn't looking forward to meeting PNG journalists.

Payne, accompanied by Bougainville affairs minister Puka Temu (but no journalists), flew to Bougainville for talks with acting president Raymond Masono. Her press release (as close as she was to come to the media) said they discussed Australia’s support for the Bougainville Peace Agreement and preparations for October's independence referendum.

Payne also met with "women peace builders from around Bougainville" as well as "emerging female leaders at the Pacific Adventist University" and she "was honoured to open a new library at the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance." However she was obviously not honoured to meet the media.

Her press statement finished with the words, "Our countries enjoy a strong strategic partnership founded on a shared history and mutual values, extensive community links, and a commitment to a secure and prosperous Pacific region."

But no commitment to speaking through the PNG media to millions of Papua New Guineans.

Go to this link for more: https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2019/06/foreign-minister-payne-review-her-visit-to-png-bougainville.html

The New Digital Prime Minister of PNG

By Natalie Whiting - ABC News

This week, many Facebook users in Papua New Guinea will have read a post written by their new Prime Minister, James Marape, and possibly re-shared it, in what's been described as an unprecedented move by a PNG leader.

The new PM posted a long, detailed essay on his visions for the country and his government, using his own Facebook account.

He addressed his post to "all friends and citizens of PNG" and signed off with the explanation that he believed it was important share share his thoughts so "the public must know what we up to as a government".

It's believed he's the first PNG Prime Minister to take such an approach, but he's not the only world leader to use social media.

The US President Donald Trump is a prolific Twitter user: he claims it's not because he likes to, but because he sees it as a way to fight 'fake news' media outlets.

So what is behind James Marape's decision to use social media to speak directly with the people of PNG, which is still a small number because the majority of Papua New Guineans still don't have internet access?

Leading PNG political commentator Dr Orovu Sepoe thinks it's an attempt by Mr Marape to appear transparent.

"Direct conversation with citizens is a good governance practice but I'm also mindful about the practicalities of it. The volume of responses and the requests and the demands that may come in," she told Pacific Beat.

Go this link for more: https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/the-new-digital-prime-minister-of-png/11233834