Nothing has changed

By NATHAN DINGU

Photo Credit: EMMANUEL NAROKOBI
I find it funny how easily we all are led to believe that something has changed when we hear the word “change”. Papua New Guinea has several parties currently registered, I hear 42 or something like that. Of those political parties, the People’s National Congress has struck ‘gold ‘this time around with others such as Triumph Heritage Party, Papua New Guinea Party and the National Alliance Party tagging along.

My question now really is what has changed? I say this because I shall make a rough head count of all the current MP’s who made it back under the banner of People’s National Congress and the Triumph Heritage Party to name a few. The question is, how many of them were part of the former National Alliance team that led the country from 2002 to 2011?

Don Polye, Sasa Zibe, Teo Zurenuoc, Paul Tienstan, Paru Aihi, the list is seemingly endless. I don’t have time to really do a head count but a general observation tells me that all the former National Alliance party members have more or less returned, without some and an addition of others.

So tell me, what has changed about the government? Peter O’Neill is now at the forefront but wasn’t he also with the former coalition as well?

I do not wish to brand the new government as being bad as everyone is human, and I shall not say anything bad about that as well. But the reality is this, we still have issues in our country that are not being addressed! Do you want me to name a few?

Why is it that Asians seem to be running everything these days? They are running tyre repair shops, fast food shops, hair salon – they seem to be taking over in every form of business. What is happening about all this?

Why am I still paying hefty taxes that has not been changed since independence? Honestly what on earth is happening in this county? Things that were set by colonial masters have never changed! We have three times as much population that we had back then but things still have not changed.

To tell you the truth, I don’t really care any more who is at the helm of PNG politics, whether it be Peter O'Neill, Michael Somare, Patrick Pruaitch , Sam Abal or Puka Temu – I only want to see issues in my beloved nation being addressed and addressed properly too! No lip service business must ever be tolerated!

I am thus as a citizen of this nation holding each and every one of our Members of Parliament responsible! The people of Papua New Guinea want change! What are you all doing about it? We do not care if you are the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Opposition Leader or even a back bencher – what are you doing about these.

Mind you, I have only mentioned a few and you and I know that there are endless issues at hand. I am watching – which member of parliament will be a true patriot – which member will stand to solve and alleviate problems inherent in our country. Enough is enough – we are tir4ed of talking – the people of Papua New Guinea want answers! Solve our problems and solve them now!

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 4, 2012 at 11:15 PM

    Nathan,
    there should be large billboards at the entrances of parliament & also inside the chamber stating our cries. May I suggest "You Promised, I voted, now You deliver, my Leader".
    You're right Nathan we're all humans. Our Leaders only show concern for our peoples struggles & hardships during campaign times only. What to do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. GeorgeAugust 4, 2012 at 11:29 PM

    the problem is not with our leaders, australians, chinese traders/triads or interpol fugitives.

    the problem is within. it's ourselves.

    the wantok and bigman culture is killing our country.

    because of wantok culture, we repeatedly choose our wantoks as leaders.
    Regardless of how bad they are for the country.

    because of bigman culture, we are not capable of independent thinking.
    but are easily misled by conman posing as leaders.

    nothing has changed because we have not changed how we think, and how we vote.


    we condemn that the NA scums and crooks are back in parliment.
    but we were the ones who voted for them.

    in pomio, paul tiensten was reelected, despite selling off the land of the people for 99 years (SABL)

    in west sepik, grand thief somare was relected, despite treating the country like his own personal piggybank.

    peter oneil was reelected with a landslide, despite betraying the workers of this country through the NPF scandal.

    ano palo was reelected, despite bringing in a fugitive to monopolize our rice, and allowing asians a free pass.


    other examples:

    (1)
    peter oneil and michael somare used the police/army/judges to fight for them.
    police fought their fellow brothers, army attacked their own comrades. chief justice was arrested.
    for what? for peter and michael to kiss and make up after the election? making us all like fools?

    (2)
    michael malabag lead a huge public protest, for timely election. ranting and railing against peter oneil?
    for what? for malabag to kiss and grovel at peter's feet after elections?

    (3)
    belden claiming to be Jesus christ of PNG
    but belden was PNG judas in charge of issuing logging permits to SABL thieves?
    that belden managed to accumulate massive wealth in less than 10 years as a forest minister?

    (4)
    chinese traders are setting up shops all over the place. like mushrooms after the rain.
    but do you know that the store owners are mostly PNG locals? the chinese traders just rent the stores from the locals.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    all of these crooks and scoundrels came into power because we the voters empower them.

    if we don't change our wantok and bigman culture, we will forever be responsible for our sad fate.
    not the australians, not the asians, and any other nations that we choose to blame.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 5, 2012 at 1:34 AM

    Right on the nail George. I couldn't say any better. View the Asians on a global perspective and compare their culture to ours. The asian race is densely populated on this planet thus the survival of the fittest mentality has firmly integrated itself into their culture in the past century enabling them to easily compete in any environment - especially one like PNG where many of us just can not get up and start a trade stoa but rather voice our pessimism to the wantok who at least tries to. When are we going to stop pointing fingers and enter the competition to run the asians out of business?

    On the part of leaders with dent reputations entering parliment, I can only blame we the voters for thinking on a regional platform rather than on a national one. We had so many parties in this election with some good policies primarily to improve and sustain our living standards. Had we the people of PNG voted for a particular party with credible candidates on a national platform to form the government, we would begin to see the end of corruption and the puppert masters brought to justice. Until we alter our mindset to think nationally and not regionally will we see the full potential of all systems of government i.e. a very effective service delivery system. We can begin right now by reflecting back to the time when ryan pini won a medal in the melbourne commonwealth games and the overwhelming effect it had on us. That was truely a time we were proud to be Papua New Guineans. Not Sepiks, Not Morobeans, Not Manusians, Not Milne Bayans, but proud Papua New Guineans.

    Nationally we stand. Regionally we fall.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 5, 2012 at 8:38 AM

    Good discussions. Change has to start from each one of us. We cannot change others. But if we make the change we probably can influence others to change. May God bless us and our leaders and country.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 5, 2012 at 11:06 AM

    I totally agree yr comments. How do you change the mindset of yr people in yr rural settings. These leaders are taking advantage of the illiterate & ignorant majority in the rural areas. They have changed our society where our people see this 5 yearly event as time for feasting & opportunity to make a few bucks, something many don't have the luxury in their daily lives. I gues those we have just elected now will have their ways for the next 5 years while we sit back blame ourselves. Please let us find some practical solutions to as you state above "change our mindset" and might I add "change the mindset of our leaders".

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 7, 2012 at 12:02 PM

    I totally concur with your comments, because government can not chnage unless we the people vote the right people into government. A lot of us are regretting the outcomem of the recent elections. Who is to be blame anyway? Of course yumi yet. What are shame for this country. However, the politicians must also acknowledge the fact that people have voted them into parliament for a change, and not to fall back into past bad practises or put it this way; CORRUPTION AT ITS BEST. These pollies are not small kids for us to relentlessly remind them of their past wrong doings and correct them. Hey, they know a plus from a minus. God Bless PNG

    ReplyDelete

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