By PEARSON KOLO
THERE are always two sides to everything and that was the case during the pre-independence years before PNG got its independence.
What most of us know about our independence is that late Sir Michael Somare fought hard and successfully got PNG’s independence in 1975.
And what most of us do not know about is the Opposition team in the House of Assembly from 1972 to 1975, who strongly debated with Sir Michael and team in Government that PNG was not ready to get independence in 1975.
The man who led the Opposition team during those heated debates was Traima Kambyapi, the Opposition’s Whip, who flew into Port Moresby from Mt Hagen to attend Sir Michael’s funeral last weekend.
Mr Kambyapi during his tribute speech at the national mourning center said Sir Michael was indeed a determined and strong man who strongly and fearlessly fought and got independence for PNG in 1975.
“But we the Opposition said PNG was not ready to get independence in 1975 and this resulted in heated debates in the House of Assembly between 1972 and 1975,” Mr Kambyapi said.
“During one of those debates, Sir Michael confronted me on the floor of the House of Assembly and we threw punches at each other before the sergeant-at-arms separated us and told us to apologise to each other.”
Mr Kambyapi said his Opposition team under the United Party with leader late Sir Tai Abel played an important role for our independence by keeping the Chief Minister and his government on their toes, keeping the checks and balances which boosted their drive for independence.
“I pay my greatest respect and tribute to late Sir Michael Somare who won independence for PNG and who, as the founding father has directed the country to where we are now,” Mr Kambyapi said.
Mr Kambyapi, who is one of the few founding fathers of PNG was flown into Port Moresby from his Kumikama village in the Lumusa LLG of WHP by the Western Highlands Provincial Government to attend late Sir Michael’s funeral in Port Moresby and to pay his tribute.
He organised his own ‘haus krai’ in his village the next day after Sir Michael passed away.
Mr Kambyapi is 82 years old and has been out of active politics since 1977 when his electorate of Baiyer Kompiam was dissolved by the national government and formed the Kompiam Ambum and Lumusa Wapenamanda electorates making Mr Kambyapi an MP without an electorate over the years.
