Papua New Guinea's 'father of independence' resigns
Jonathan Pearlman Papua New Guinea's veteran leader and "father of independence", Sir Michael Somare, has resigned as prime minister because of poor health. Sir Michael, 75, was leader when his nation gained independence from Australia in 1975 and has led for a total of more than 16 years. The so-called Grand Chief of PNG politics has been prime minister three times and began his final term in 2002. He is recovering from heart surgery in Singapore earlier this year. Arthur Somare, the leader's son, announced the resignation at a press conference in Port Moresby. "It is our wish that Sir Michael will now pursue a life in retirement after nearly 50 years of active politics due to medical reasons and the uncertainty of the recovery period," he said. "We believe PNG should have a level of certainty with regard to political stability and leadership well into the future." Sir Michael, who oversaw the transition to independence, has had a profound i