‘Sukundumi’ lives on

SOUTH PACIFIC POST

 

A colourful rainbow hung over Port Moresby amid threatening rain clouds as the Prime Minister emerged from the Waigani court room smiling and waving to supporters from the left side of his official car.

A man in the crowd shouted: “Sukundumi, Sunkundumi” to Sir Michael who responded with a smile and a wave. Sir Michael had claimed at one time that he is the Sukundumi – the great Sepik River God.

Ministers, departmental heads, bureaucrats and members of the public who went to hear the tribunal decision waved on the PM and his entourage as they drove through the National and Supreme court car park from the back of the court buildings.

Many of the East Sepik people in Port Moresby had been camping at the Prime Minister’s official Mirigini House behind the Parliament and the National Museum and Art Gallery since Wednesday.

Several landowner leaders of the resources-rich Southern High-lands Province also turned up to show their support for the Prime Minister.

They contributed up to K14,500 and two pigs. All the money was pinned to a sago frond in traditional fashion as if to pay pride price or compensation, but was not taken to the court house to pay court fines. The PM was not fined. He was slapped with two-week suspension from office.

There was jubilation among the crowd, some of whom joined celebrations at the Parliament poolside where the Government put on drinks to celebrate the fact that the PM was not dismissed from office.

A bus-load of students from the University of PNG also joined the crowd at the court house. “We are here to show our support to the Prime Minister,” said one senior student from Yangoru, ESP.

“We kind of expected him to be fined of suspended for some time,” said a senior bureaucrat.

Pigs are expected to be slaughtered for a bigger feast at the Mirigini House tomorrow, according to some staff of the PM’s office.

The Prime Minister’s office sent a message to the media before the tribunal decision to expect a statement from the PM after the ruling.

The pre-prepared statement said the PM respected the rule of law and accepted the penalty and apologised to the people of PNG.

“As a leader I take full responsibility for failing to fulfil certain administrative aspects of my duties and responsibilities of leadership by submitting several late and incomplete returns to the Ombudsman Commission. For this I apologise to the people of Papua New Guinea for this administrative oversight,” he said.

“It is very important to emphasise, however that the Tribunal has found me innocent of any corrupt practices that fall in breach of the substantive provision of the Leadership laws on leadership,” he said.

For that reason he welcomed and support the earlier decision by the tribunal not to suspend him during the duration of the inquiry.

He said he the establishment of the tribunal clearly demonstrated that no one is above the law including the Prime Minister … “however, at the same time, all citizens of Papua New Guinea must be treated equally.”

He hands over the job of running PNG to his Deputy Prime Minister Mr Sam Abal whom he described as a “bright and strong leader of the younger generation and he has my full confidence during this time and into the future.”

He said he would spend the 14 days with his wife, children and grand-children and visit his electorate of East Sepik.

“I am accepting full responsibility and the suspension. I am pleased that this chapter of my long political career is now closed. I look forward to, with the help of my government, completing this term of Parliament before retiring,” he said.

This effectively puts end to speculation that Sir Michael could stand for the East Sepik Regional seat again in 2012.