THE UNIVERSAL POLYE LOYALTY, FAITHFULNESS TO UPRIGHTNESS AND HUMANITY
By PNG Observer
There have been many misleading information netted by a post on the Voice of PNG. It has questioned why did not former Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye was not elected as Prime Minister replacing Sir Michael Somare when the opportunity arose in 2011.
The posting commands some analysis of him, one of the rarest and truly born leaders of PNG.
I wish to digest briefly some of the points raised about Don Pomb Polye.
Firstly, the point that leadership or the Prime Minister's position can't be given on a golden plate to DPP is true, and Mr Polye has been and is earning it through the proper and legal way. As observed, the man is continuing to work hard and smart on it! DPP is industrious and smart worker who believes in earning his dues from a honest, hard days’ work and not through a life of ease like breaking rules or lying and deceiving into thin air in order only to attain power and wealth. DPP doesn't believe in short cuts.
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| Polye and other MPs with founding fathers during an Opposition Camp at Laguna Hotel in Port Moresby |
Polye is a proven loyalist and faithful to noble values. He not only made Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare Prime Minister. Also DPP made Sam Abal win the Wabag Open seat. He was true in solidarity of the NA-led government under Somare. He helped deliver the PNG economy from economic doldrums to macro-economic stability and the highest level of growth ever during 2002-2012. However, he was mistreated by the Somare regime in fear that he might probably take over NA leadership which he did eventually, but initially DPP remained a true loyalist and faithful to a commitment he had made for stable politics and macroeconomic stability for the sake of PNG'S socio-economic growth.
Sir Michael trusted DPP but a few including his own Engan brother Sam Abal who cheated and deceived him that made DPP rebel against Sir Michael.
On the same token again, DPP remained a truly loyal and faithful to an agreement with the four other leaders who overthrew the Somare-Abal government. But, he again was cheated and deceived by the big four-William Duma, Peter O'Neill, Belden Namah and the late Jeffrey Nape whom all had agreed that the one amongst the first three ( Nape was excluded) who had mobilised the biggest number to his camp or side would earn the Prime Minister. DPP achieved the target by providing 22 MPs when PO, Duma and Namah had smaller numbers with PO's only four being the smallest. DPP had earned it and was set to be the PM. However, the late Jeffrey Nape, who was then the Speaker of Parliament, had signed a deal with PO that if DPP had had to be the candidate nominated for the top post, the Speaker would not have accepted neither had he entertained any motion to change the Somare-Abal regime. With their MPs, Namah, Sir Julius and Sir Puka Temu strongly supported late Nape / O'Neill drama against DPP. DPP was flabbergasted and felt deceived ...and in fact he was robbed of his hard work and high level intellect.
Thus, DPP demanded for a secret ballot election between O’Neill and himself. The late Speaker's position worked against DPP. DPP again was cheated and deceived of the country's CEO post. Again DPP never retreated to the Somare -Abal regime as he had already shifted his loyalty to a new government. DPP kept the Treasury and Finance Ministry from 2010 to 2012 in the makeshift O'Neill-Namah government into the National elections in 2012!
DPP performed well maintaining the socioeconomic stability and growth he had helped mould and shape in the Somare-Polye government.
After the elections, DPP returned with the second highest number of candidates under his THE Party to O'Neill’s PNC. DPP proved another value this time. He was not power hungry but cultural diversity conscious. He made Leo Dion from NGI become DPM to O'Neill (Highlands) instead of becoming DPM himself (Highlands) as THE Party leader. As his conviction, DPP has proven that National unity lies in respecting and upholding political and economic power, and wealth ownership balance in all regions and ethnicity of PNG. At certain forums, he had told PO that cheating and deception must be avoided in running the nation. DPP had warned the original big four including Jeffrey Nape that abuse of power, and manipulating and weakening the systems of governance or the rule of law would force him (DPP) to break loyalty to the commitment to keeping any government.
Again, DPP proved to be loyal and faithful to O’Neill-Dion government as Treasurer until in 2013 when DPP recognised one single biggest idiotic and foolish decision ever made in the history of PNG - PO's ridiculous K3billion UBS loan that had nothing whatsoever for the Nation but only to bail out Oil Search Limited from bankruptcy. DPP was serving as the World Bank/ IMF chairman at the time as well as being treasurer of PNG not to mention his second biggest party. DPP, who was and is so people focussed and grass roots-oriented, could not withstand and allow or accept such ridiculous decisions of PO's engaging in a hefty commercial loan that erodes the country's development budget as well as PNG LNG revenues.
The UBS loan was bridged to the PNG LNG’s total proceeds (including both components of LOs and Provincial governments).
Consequently, nothing of the PNG LNG revenue would be forth coming to the owners of the resources, but all proceeds would be siphoned directly to an ESCROW account in Singapore.
DPP did predict all these scenarios and today it fulfils exactly like DPP said it would come of the UBS loan. DPP left the PO regime for want of better and more honest leadership and became leader of Parliamentary Opposition. So again, DPP remained faithful to a course until poor decisions detrimental to people's lives were prevalent in a government he had helped form.
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| Don Polye |
Thus, DPP sought directions from the Supreme Court which granted the directions for the Speaker and Parliament to entertaining the vonc motion to its completion of process.
Again, DPP was gagged by Speaker and was denied of debate during the vote manipulating the vonc voting process. There was little time for DPP to redress this manipulation as the 2017 National Elections was just around the corner!
Here DPP is seen to remain loyal and faithful again to the rule of law and the good principles of democracy. Here DPP's effort in successfully ordering recall of Parliament by the highest Court order, establishes and restores the highest standard of democracy and good governance in PNG. He also demonstrated the need for maintaining the independence of powers amongst the Parliamentary, Executive and the Judiciary arms of government.
Now the 2017 National Election as we all know was unprecedentedly corrupt and marred with deaths and human blood, let alone destruction to businesses and properties. The most suffered, rigged and most expensive (costly) was DPP’s own Kandep electorate! All DPP's enemies, rivals, haters, dislikes…etc., concentrated their efforts against DPP in Kandep to achieve his ousting by hook or crook! They succeeded and DPP was again cheated and robbed of not just justifiably his Kandep seat but also an opportunity to contest again for the CEO position of PNG. DPP's THE party candidates throughout PNG suffered the same fate as DPP himself. It won only four seats.
An additional truth about DPP is that some of the notable infrastructure developments in the country that have been implemented and some of the best financial facilities enjoyed in infrastructure developments seen so far, were tangibly put in place by DPP!!! For instance, all airport developments, all sea port developments and all highway ( four-lanes into towns and cities) were packaged in a very soft loan facility with the ADB called the Multi Tranche Finance Facility (MTFF).
DPP rejected commercial and unconventional loans! As Foreign Affairs Minister, he drove the establishment of free-trade agreements in favour of PNG like the PNG Tuna free trade agreement with the European Union.
DPP established Free trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China. Further, DPP did achieve a Trade and Development Partnership agreement with Australia when serving in both the Somare and O'Neill governments. Macroeconomic, Fiscal and Debt Management policies and strategies were engineered and driven by DPP in government. No wonder DPP is more policy, strategy and rule of law based or cultured. The MTDS, MTFS, MTDMS and Vision 2050 were done by DPP playing key roles.
DPP is humble and discreet. He is descent and modest. Boastfulness is rarely seen in him. DPP perseveres for upholding good and the positiveness as he believes that success of a nation lies there.
The future is all pre-determined! We shall only see the fulfilment of what is divine! The bad has ended. The good has begun!
In conclusion, DPP certainly is earning his dues...soon to hit the jackpot. DPP is so decisive. In fact, he is competently decisive as he had proven time and time again that his decisions and predictions are fulfilling amongst the best economists and leaders in the world!
DPP is not power hungry but he is desperate to love and serve his people, so he sacrifices power and materialism for people.
DPP is a mighty man of war capable of eliminating corruption, so competent and capacitated as a born leader to transforming this nation into overflowing love, happiness, peace and prosperity in abundance.
As a close observer of some of our most powerful leaders of PNG, I believe that DPP stands far apart.
His absence on the floor of Parliament is clearly felt. If he were to return, he would be clearly felt, too.
The nation's respect for DPP has only started to grow.
This leader is extra ordinary! Don Pomb Polye is down but not out!
