NATIONAL ALLIANCE WALKING TIGHT ROPE


PAPUA New Guineans are now pondering the real possibility that due to his serious heart condition, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, the country’s most dominant political figure, will almost certainly not be able to resume his job as prime ministership.

In the worst case scenario, if the man fondly referred to as the “father” of PNG passes on, Parliament will have to elect a new prime minister but should he recover from the heart operations and return, it will then be a question of whether his ill health can allow him to continue in office as prime minister.
During his hospitalisation in the past six weeks, in Singapore, no one, even his doctors, have come out to say whether the Prime Minister will be physically fit to continue as Prime Minister when he recovers. Up to now, no one knows that.

Sir Michael is 75-years-old and he has been in Parliament for 43 years and prime minister for almost half of the 36 years PNG has been independent. Six weeks ago, he was flown to Singapore, where complications arose after one operation, requiring a second. Two heart operations on a 75-year-old man who has put up with the pressures of politics for most of his adult life, is a serious proposition.

His long absence from the country and his medical condition has set into motion a power struggle in his own National Alliance Party, which threatens to disintegrate – 12 months before the next general election.
At the fore of this tussle is Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal, and the man Sir Michael dumped in favour of him, Don Pomb Polye, who is now the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration. Both are jostling to take over the leadership of the National Alliance Party from Sir Michael.

Former Finance Minister and Treasurer, Patrick Pruaitch was another contender but he dropped out, and instead has opted for the portfolio he was removed from following his misconduct in office charges.
Where does that places Mr Peter O’Neill, the Leader of the Peoples National Congress, a junior partner in the Government? He is now holding this portfolio.

The National Alliance Party has 22 MPs out of the 109 in Parliament and it is the major political party in Government, having been in office since 2002, a feat never experienced in PNG Party politics in the past.
The PNG constitution requires the prime minister to be elected by the full Parliament, which will happen if and when Sir Michael formally concedes that he cannot return to office.

He has not done that but the tussle for power in the NA party is real. We are told that under the NA constitution, Section 12 provides for the most senior deputy leader of the party from the four regions to take over the leadership automatically should a vacancy occur.

In the current situation, there is no vacancy as yet but due to the long absence of the PM and NA leader, the parliamentary wing of the party was tasked by the national executive of the party to meet last week and elect an acting leader. That meeting, however, was postponed to a later date, as a mark of respect for Sir Michael.
The power struggle has divided NA and it can have far reaching consequences in the coming months unless the national executive of the party steps in and deals with the issue now. NA could play into the hands of its political rivals if it is not careful.

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