We Need A Change In The 'Form' Of Government And Not GoPNG: Uncompromising Maru Can Lead This Reformation

Here are some random thoughts on PNG national politics, particularly on the eve of this VONC (vote of no confidence) in May 2024, that I had captured and caged in this article. I hope that you will find this article insightful as I write about some views of our PNG politics that I understood and envisioned from my perspective.

On the eve of this VONC, my view is that we in PNG do not need a change in GoPNG rather we need a change in the form of government to suit our changing attitudes as well as to deter the corruption tendencies of our leaders. The attitude and anti-citizenship behaviours of our people is a reaction that can be attributed to the willful failing of our 'big man' leaders and we need a form of government that will bring to justice these leaders. Only when people see justice being served to those at the upper echelons of our society then we can expect people to change for the better. I covered these respective thoughts and in that order in the first three articles hereunder.

In my view we need an authoritarian police state to herd people into doing the right things right and this is already provided for in our Constitution. There is allowance in the Constitution which is implied in the Fifth Goal and National Directives of the Constitution which emboldens us to continuously seek to adopt our ways of ruling the people according to our attitudes and responsiveness to the governing methods and to doing it 'The PNG Way!' The freedoms guaranteed under the constitution are not absolute or complete freedoms and these freedoms can be regulated or restricted by GoPNG for the purpose of public order or bringing in discipline and etc. Besides it must be realised that the traditional Melanesian society is never a democratic society and an authoritarian government using the police as the ‘legitimate force’ to severely punish those who are 'ill-disciplined' in following our structure will not be something new and out-of-place.

For stewardship of this transformative reforms, my view is that Richard Maru, who appears to be uncompromising, can provide the necessary leadership in this new form of government with a focus on 'recovery and restoration' to bring back some sense of a positive justice perception! The new style of government can be based on the 'Singaporean Democracy'.

The Singaporean style of democracy appears to appeal to Maru and many observant thinking PNGns as it is based on three key fundamentals or the 'MPH' formula: meritocracy, pragmatism and good old honesty. The Singapore democracy is the manifestation of 'MPH'.

Meritocracy: Select the best people by their own merit to run the country.

Pragmatism: Does not matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mice. That analogy is saying that it should not matter what the political ideology is. If it works, adopt and use it! Even to the extent of mixing up policies derived from Capitalism, Socialism or Communism. PNG we are in a position to adopt the best of all worlds and ideologies.

Honesty: Zero tolerance for corruption!

Richard Maru appears to wield considerable meritorious power in GoPNG ranks and in his strategy discourses and application of leadership in his YS Electorate, he has indicated and demonstrated strong inclinations to the ‘Singaporean Style’ and ‘Indonesian Style’ democracies. Already as International Trade And Investement Minister, he has been uncompromisingly calling out our unbalance trade that favours more our traditional trade partner countries but not us. Maru is advocating for increase trade with especially Indonesia which is just next door and with whom we share a common land boundary and thus creating a sense of deep connection.

They say that ‘still waters run deep’ and while being quiet politically during this VONC episode, Maru has gone about advocating strategically to strengthen economic ties to mutually leverage for future support when modelling their style of government for PNG and especially Singapore's meritorious process of choosing candidates to run for public office.

Considering the current state of politics, the need for uncompromising reforms in our political system of governance to provide a positive perception of justice and the merits of politicians, it is my view that Richard Maru will be an ideal candidate to champion this pragmatic new form of government for us in PNG.