Divide and Rule, Somare's Playbook

West Enga Republic

The country is now at a cross-road, a cross-road to a prosperous future or a path that will lead to the inhalation of this promising country. In the weeks ahead we will see what the leadership of Sam Abal is made of. We know clearly that Sir Michael Somare is not coming back to take charge of the leadership. Sam Abal has been thrown no life line as he has been made just like Daniel thrown into the lions den.

He has a battle looming on four fronts, first he has to deal with the fact that his own party sacked him after his actions to terminate the services of Don Polye and William Duma, if that is not enough, URP a party that has backed National Alliance for the last 8 years is now cracked with leadership of the party undecided if they want to stay as a partner in this government. Thirdly he has an issue with Peter O'Niel's PNC party. It stems from the removal of PNC's Finance portfolio to Patrick Pruaitch, will this also be a sticking point come the next election? Finally he has to deal with his own leadership, his own decisions.

Sam Abal's decision to shut out major coalition partners and stick to those that easily bend and blend with National Alliance is very questionable but it looks more likely to come from the play book of Somare. Somare has shown his magic wand in recent times and has the convinience to play the divide and rule tactic. He is likely to show no more remorse to these parties but is likely to keep all the key leadership roles to the ruling parting postitioning themselves to go into the election and that will be at the expense of Peter O"Neil and William Duma.

Who do you expect to fill the roles of these two party leaders who have been loyal since day one?, One of them is Mr.Pruaitch,  Mr Pruaitch, from West Sepik, was a controversial Forests minister. He stood down from the Treasury some time after being referred to the public prosecutor almost two years ago for corruption. Despite a series of legal challenges, he is now likely to appear in court soon. The seven original charges included double dipping reimbursements and misappropriation. He is also named as an accomplice alongside with CIS Minister Tony Aimo by the famous Bank South Pacific bank robber William Kapris.

So who is really pulling the strings of Sam Abal? I know there is Anderson Agiru who demanded the sacking of William Duma, I know he has always been trying to make a grab at the leadership after the conditions of Somare worsened. He has been the party stalwart but since 2002 after he went through a Leadership Tribunal  and an election loss to his endorsed candidate Jacob Sekewa, he waited out to come back and win his seat from Hami Yawari. Although  it was William Duma who steered the party. It was Agiru's influence that won over MPs, Agiru might boost few most of them from his electorate but has never come close to being the leader. He is now seen as the likely influence of some of the descions Abal has taken.

Peter Ipatas has to be the reason behind the sacking of Don Polye, although Ipatas has never been without controversy himself, he was once the man who first hired Sam Abal, and if memory serves me right Abal was the Provincial Administrator of Enga for a good period before he contested the Wabag Open seat. Sam Abal and Peter Ipatas are from the same area in Wabag, although Polye is in the same team with Abal, their relatonships went south after Polye kept interjecting and went behind Peter Ipatas. Controversies will be endless but at least some people know the demise of Polye has the making of Ipatas all over it, without the support of National Alliance Don Polye looks to lose his Kandep Open seat in 2012 unless he joins forces with the opposition. As is it, he is now gone, he will never have a taste in leadership again. For Ipatas, his sins will one day catch up with him and I have it on good authority that he has made himself rich over night on the backs Pogera. That is for me to write about another time.

On my next piece I will write about the Enga Province Free Education Policy and how the EPG  has shiponed millions of Kina in the past 12 years using the guise of Enga Children's fund and now Ipatas Foundation. It will shock you look it up here on PNGBlogs.