DISPATCH
PNG back from the brink tional Alliance Party did not win their seats. This leaves me with little choice but to accept defeat as the leader of the National Alliance Party,” he lamented. Despite the party’s woeful performance, the veteran MP moved quickly to join forces with O’Neill. Consequently two members of his party – Pruaitch (forest and climate change) and Jim Simatab (correctional services) – were part of the 33-member cabinet that was sworn into office, confirming that the NA and its former leader had moved on from the crisis.
EAST-WEST CENTRE
A successful general election has settled the political crisis for now but voters are dismayed that O’Neill swiftly jumped into bed with archrival Somare’s party
Not cosy PM elect Peter O’Neill. From ALEXANDER RHEENEY in Port Moresby republikamagazine.com/dispatch
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t has been a tumultuous 12 months for Papua New Guinea. The period of turmoil began with the veteran politician Sir Michael Somare’s toppled as prime minister, his reinstatement by the supreme court and the refusal by the O’Neill government to recognise that judgment. This triggered a failed army mutiny, the politicisation of the PNG police force and a politician’s storming of the supreme court on the pretext of “arresting” the chief justice. When Papua New Guineans went to the polls in June they did so in the hope that their right to democratically elect their 111 politicians would bring to an end a political crisis that came close to choking their nation. Sir Michael’s archrival Peter O’Neill emerged victorious to form government with – though not surprising for PNG political observers – Sir Michael at his side as a coalition partner. Papua New Guineans took to social media to express outrage at the political marriage and question whether this regime really represented a government chosen by the people. Despite the criticism O’Neill declared: “We’ve got experience and also youth and talent. Very experienced Papua New Guineans are now taking up positions as ministers of this govern38
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ment. Therefore I am very certain that they will perform to the expectations of our people.” Prior to that PNG commentators and foreign governments were worried the skirmish between Sir Michael and O’Neill and his former deputy Belden Namah could disrupt polling, but the three-month-long general election appeared to be the perfect antidote for the political crisis. Initially Sir Michael boldly declared in the lead-up to the election that his National Alliance Party (NA) would “correct” the various breaches of the Constitution by the O’Neill regime when it formed government after election. “As the leader of the party going into the elections, I rigorously campaigned with my team to ensure that the type of violations and breaches to the constitution that began with my unconstitutional removal on 2 August 2011 are corrected and never happen again in the future of this country,” Sir Michael said. However he conceded defeat at the conclusion of polling after his party was decimated, compelling him to hand the baton to deputy party leader Patrick Pruaitch (Momase). “As the results of the elections emerge, I now accept that the people have spoken and many of the members of parliament and candidates of the Na-
Bigger government’s no guarantee for stability ut how safe is the O’Neill government from a vote of no confidence after O’Neill – an MP from PNG’s resource-rich Southern Highlands province – beat flamboyant and controversial former deputy Belden Namah to the top job, consigning the former army intelligence officer to the opposition? To appreciate the complexity of the issues O’Neill has to contend with, one must look at the performance of Sir Michael and the success he has had in keeping together a major coalition government comprising over 80 politicians. When the veteran MP was re-elected PM five years ago, 86 members of parliament backed him. Fast forward to 2012 and O’Neill returns with the same number of MPs from the polls like NA did back then (when 27 party-endorsed candidates were elected to PNG’s parliament). The only difference this time is in the vote for the PM position when O’Neill secured 94 votes compared to Sir Michael’s 86 in the last parliament. With a political career spanning 44-plus years, Sir Michael as a political maestro knew the solution to his quest to remain in power and maintain the support of his anxious coalition partners was to legislate to increase the size of cabinet which he did in November 2007. With cabinet increased from 27 to 34, it opened the prospect for coalition partners to share in the spoils of government and not be wooed by an opposition keen on a vote of no confidence.
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September 2012