THE towering figure in post-independence Papua New Guinea, Sir Michael Somare, has been officially removed from office, and one of his former ministers, Peter O’Neill, voted by parliament to replace him. Mr O’Neill, the son of an Irish-Australian kiap (district officer), promises to lead a government no longer based on “materialism and power-hunger”. He will not have long to live up to those ideals. An election, due by mid-2012, is usually the signal for parliamentarians to clamour for handouts. Sir Michael’s departure is a landmark in the politics of the country of 6.7m. Widely known as the “Grand Chief”, he was first elected to parliament in 1968, led the country to independence in 1975, held the top job until 1980, returned as prime minister from 1982 to 1985, and again from 2002 until this year. He presided over a mineral-resources and logging boom, and built his National Alliance into the dominant party in a fractious parliament. But recently things have not gone his way. In April