Commentary By CYRIL GARE – Freelance Journalist
PNG is on and at an unprecedented height of implusivity like never before.
This is to say, we are blurting without thinking. Our logics fall short and consideration of ‘opportunity cost’ crumbles below our feet as we, without realising that in every words we say, hurts a soul other than yourself, every decision we make carries a return unto self, be it for good, bad or ugly on our mortal lives.
Future matters likewise our next generation. It is an intergenerational trait as well as a duty as humans not just to regenerate but importantly, securing the regenerated a better future. Stakes are high on our shoulders.
January 10, 2024 events that crippled Port Moresby and regressed our GDP by a billion kina resembles the adrenaline in impulsivity.
Impulsivity to insanity, some even led to belief its Novus Ordo Seccrolum – “A new order of the ages,” is the meaning of the Latin phrase “novus ardo seclorum” which can be found on the back of a U.S. dollar bill. U.S. citizens are concerned with the passage of time, the near future, acting in a timely manner, and accomplishing tasks efficiently” [wikipedia online].
Sorry, but PNG is a blessed ‘old age’ with a rich history of order and control, befitting under command of tribal chieftaincy, with states co existing in harmony and upholding communal ownership and property rights, equity and socialist democracy at heart.
Until on birth of Independence, that the metamorphic ‘state’ or the ‘crown’ took over our heritage, forced under carpet of ‘divide and rule’ techniques and marginalised us under the curse of inferiority, completely dislocating the fabric of our bonded structures.
Today, we are nothing but a nexus of a kind reeling in confusion, coated in impulsivity, and blurting at will.
We are alienated, victims of colonialism, neocolonialism and ecclesiasticalism.
Take Back PNG begins with increasing conscience, a new awakening of mind, and adopting prescience.
The air of malaise that surrounds our rich yet humble abode demands a new approach, collective national cohesion drive.
I am saddened and reduced on reasoning just how so called intellects on the ‘Think Tank Group’ could possibly score that low in their selection of names and process that elects a Prime Minister in PNG.
Your analysis of choice for an eligible and quality PM candidate is not only shallow but distorted and misconstrued.
Process of electing a PM in PNG do not work like the way you put it. No. PMs are NOT elected on the whims of street rioting, burning, and looting of properties. Instead, a PM is elected from and through party lines. A party leader who commands the trust and loyalty of his/her party takes a party into an election, wins majority seat, GG invites that party to form government.
Secondly, he or she runs government and after 18 months s.145 of Constitution (VoNC) comes in to scrutinize his/her performance. VoNC is tested on basis of numbers. Its numbers, numbers, numbers. This is where we are currently at.
Thirdly, in event of a VoNC and if Douglas Tomuriesa, Renbo Paita, Allan Bird, Peter O’Neill, Kerenga Kua, William Powi, Chris Haiveta or anyone for that matter is to be PM candidate, he has to have: i) party endorsement, ii) from a well composed group either in Govt or Opposition, iii) command the respect of other MPs, iv) command respect of country or public, v) command regional and international respect and standing vi) of high character ethical standard, vii) others.
Anything outside of this standing is a sabotage of spirit of VoNC.
Currently, none of the names in the Opposition mentioned above meet the criteria that meets VoNC playing field rules. Not AB, not PO, not RP, not DT, not KK, not WP, and certainly not CH too.
Ironically, all names in the Opposition closet are remnants of a whole, “broken pieces of glass” from the ‘glass house’ our fathers built.
They are simply ‘hot air’ that are causing impulsivity and confusion among the public.
The 5th Columnist:
Beware of 5th columnists, people who are PNGians but work for foreign interest for a secret reward. They are pathogens in our Glass House kitchen, they poison our food. They make you belief of a “quick fix scheme” that growth, development and progress comes from a golden plate given overnight. Instead, without realising it, they form a destructive base for regress instead of progress.
In restropect, the pathway we have travelled as a nation, have seen us changed Governments18 times from 10 national elections between 1964 – 2022.
The Price We Pay:
37 countries passed PNG in UN ratings of HDI.
Way Forward:
1. Strenghten law and control over party solidarity and integrity to deter fragmentation and movementvof MPs at will.
2. Remove s.145 in Constitution to achieve political stability because stability = progress.
3. PM be voted by people not Parliament.
4. Strenghten law enforcement institutions like police fraud squad, OC, ICAC, fraud and criminal courts, etc to ensure compliance with good governance, transparency and accountability by PM, MPs and public office holders across the spectrum.
5. Redesign the entire Statecraft; election system, uni-cameral parliament to bi-cameral parliament to include tribal chief of the 1,000 tribes who own this country not the Crown State, remove electoral boundaries with tribal boundaries, review s.53 of Constitution to prevent ‘State’ to encroach on Customary land by force, remove s.5 in Mining Act to make tribes own whole of land from surface to earth’s crust, design new raparian and ocean laws to create traditional owners of sea and waterways, create new laws on air space currently international flights pay nothing for using our air space, remove Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) model in the production formula: Land (L) + Labour (L) + Capital (C) = Production (P) with a PNG design model of financing production and many other such ‘structural adjustments’ to Take Back PNG.
Currently, PNG is “divided and being ruled over” without realising where it come from, who is behind it. Do we care, dare to ask?
And while we bark, complain and react on impulse, the perpetrator – exploiter silently laughs at us and continuing his loot over our riches.
