Tempers a little frayed

The Papua New Guinea Minister for the Interior, Dr John Guise, and the Anglican Bishop of Papua New Guinea, Bishop David Hand, have clashed over the issues of indepen dence and church involvement in politics.

The controversy began when Bishop Hand said in January he favoured the granting of independence as soon as possible, but thought that there should be a referendum first. He recommended an intensive political education programme about the meaning and consequences of independence, to be followed by a referendum sometime next year to determine the timing of indepen dence.

This provoked Dr Guise into saying that the bishop should confine himself to the spiritual care of the church.

He said that the bishop should put his house in order “before continually pointing his episcopal finger of ill informed criticism to political matters.”

Dr Guise also accused the bishop of abandoning support for early self-government and independence.

The Interior Minister said that in such matters the democratic process should be through the elected representatives in parliament.

But Bishop Hand replied with his own broadside. He observed that Dr Guise (who is an Anglican) had on a number of occasions publicly urged the church to become involved in national life and in politics!

In any case, the bishop said, his proposal for a referendum was not a criticism of the government, but an effort at constructive suggestion. A matter as crucial as the timing of independence ought to have the approval of the greatest possible majority of the people.

The bishop welcomed the statement by the Chief Minister, Mr Somare, that the people would decide the date for the country’s independence.