Vice Regal Fiasco

Papua New Guinea will be on its way to Buckingham Palace "cap in hand" soon to seek Queen Elizabeth's blessings in a third attempt to fill the vice regal post.

But with the Supreme Court throwing out the Parliament's first two choices, clashes between the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and the Chief Ombudsman Ila Geno, blatant displays of regionalism and a debatable claim by Engan bigmen, not too many people are holding their breath.

The fiasco over the appointment of the Governor-General comes amid wider political turmoil. The 18-month grace period preventing votes of no confidence against Sir Michael's government ended in February. The Government has tried to secure its future by amending the Constitution to increase the grace period to three years. That has hit a brick wall twice and the result has been splits in the governing coalition parties.

Governor-General hopeful, Sir Albert Kipalan faces the media after his short lived victory over Sir Pato Kakaraya. Dr Akhila Nand Sharma. Photo: COURTESY OF POST COURIER

The election of the eighth Governor-General should have been a straightforward exercise to find a successor to a colorful line-up of leaders beginning with Sir John Guise and ending most recently with Sir Silas Atopare. Sir Silas finished his term last September.

That left the race open to eight new candidates: former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet, former Speaker Bernard Narokobi, former MPs - Mathew Bendumb and politician/knights Sir Albert Kipalan, Sir Pato Kakaraya, Sir Thomas Kavali, Sir Tom Koraea and Sir Paulias Matane.

Sir Albert won that round over Sir Paulias by just one vote. However his victory was short-lived when the Ombudsman Commission took out a Supreme Court injunction stopping Sir Albert from taking up the post.

Procedural errors including flaws in nomination forms were the basis of the Commission's legal challenge, which named the Acting Speaker as first plaintiff. But there were undertones of disdain over Sir Albert's role in the controversial purchase of the Conservatory building in Cairns, Australia.

"The person nominated by the Parliament must be a person of integrity. He or she must be of good standing and one who enjoys the general respect of the community. He must be impartial and be politically neutral," Chief Ombudsman Geno said.

“The best thing about DFL is that students learn independently; it encourages students to think for themselves and we do need to be continuously innovative.’’ —Dr Akhila Nand Sharma. Photo: Matelita Ragogo

On September 18 the court declared Parliament's election of Sir Albert null and void. Acting Speaker Jeffery Nape again declared nominations open. The Ombudsman's Commission, living up to its nickname as watchdog, twice forced an extension of the closure date while barking at the process and qualifications of some of the candidates.

Last December Parliament voted on three candidates - Sir Albert Kipalan, Sir Paulias Matane and Sir Pato Kakaraya. Sirs Albert and Pato are both from Enga Province in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Sir Paulias is a Tolai from New Britain Island.

Despite 38 years of independence - and nation building - there are still strong regional loyalties in PNG. This often influences appointments to public office with nepotism (known as the wantok system) along Southern (Papuan), Northern (Mamose), Highlands or New Guinea Islands region lines rife. Public Sector Reforms had been whittling this down.

The election became an all Engan affair after the Acting Speaker ruled Sir Paulius out with his casting vote.

"Most of the senior positions are held by Momase and Southern so I want the position of the Governor-General to be held by the Highlands," said Nape, who is from the Sinasina-Yongamugl electorate in the Highlands region.

Sir Pato secured 52 votes beating Sir Albert's 39 and was appointed Governor-General by the Queen on December 16.

Not aware that Buckingham Palace had already approved Sir Pato Kakaraya in the position, the Ombudsman Commission wrote to the Prime Minister questioning the validity of the decision. A incensed Sir Michael called Geno "a damned liar" at a subsequent press conference, waving the signed instrument containing the royal seal.

Parliament had by then adjourned for five-months until June 29 in what the Ombudsman Commission labeled a "five month holiday," intensifying bad blood between it and the Prime Minister's Office.

Sir Albert Kipalan certainly wasn't taking a break. He mounted a successful Supreme Court challenge to Sir Pato's election, on the grounds that the nomination forms were not properly submitted. This meant Parliament had to be recalled on April 27 to yet again open up nominations for the Governor-General's position. The special sitting was haunted by the threat of a vote of no confidence drummed up by renegade former supporters of the Somare-led Government. In response, the Government limited the session to 40 minutes, just enough time for the Acting Speaker to announce the Supreme Court decision, its implications and declare nominations open.

The Clerk of Parliament has since rejected the initial four nominees for the position, and at the time of press, nominations were still open. Prime Minister Somare has indicated that it costs US$50,000 for each sitting day of Parliament. This means it has cost at least US$400,000 to convene Parliament to announce the nominations and votes in the ongoing Governor-General saga.

As it is, the Government may be forced to back Sir Pato Kakaraya to avoid the embarrassment of going back to Buckingham Palace a second time. This would please Engan Governor, Peter Ipatas.

"We the leaders of Enga are embarrassed. The Prime Minister has said the whole thing was embarrassing, it is therefore appropriate that we elect one of the two men (Sir Albert or Sir Pato) into office regardless of the process," says Ipatas.

"We are embarrassed by this because in traditional PNG society, once you give something to someone publicly, you do not take it back."