Somare leads a new

look team

From GUS SMALES, in Port Moresby

In a lobby campaign fought harder than the elections themselves, Mr Michael Somare defeated Sir John Guise for the Prime Ministership of Papua New Guinea in August.

Mr Somare, his country's foundation Prime Minister, is in office for a second term at the head of a vastly-changed cabinet which he describes as a “new look team”.

Under the PNG constitution, Parlia ment itself elects the Prime Minister, who then chooses his ministry. Mr Somare’s Pangu Party and its coalition partner, the Peoples Progress Party, had an election victory on paper, but this did not take into account the immaturity of the party system, which made the posi tion far from clear-cut.

PNG parties don’t yet have the dis ciplines and the commitments found in the parties of older democracies. There were too many unknown factors after the final election figures were known (see story pi 6).

There were members independent in name only who were openly available to party bargaining, members who hid their real feelings, disenchanted and lukewarm supporters on either side, and vacillating members torn by personal, party and electorate considerations.

Sir John Guise, who was Mr Somare’s

deputy in pre-independence days, and

who resigned as Governor-General to re-enter politics, seized on this situation in an attempt to wrest power from Mr Somare. He made an alliance with the United Party, in which his reward was to be Prime Minister if he could talk over the extra numbers needed to govern.

Throughout the numbers struggle Mr Somare was generally conceded to be on top, but the situation was not clarified beyond doubt until late on the night before Parliament sat.

Sir John must have realised by then that he had lost, but he did not try to save face by withdrawing, and he sat through the vote, which defeated him by 69 to 36. He went down like a gentle man, and he was first out of his seat to walk across the chamber and shake hands with Mr Somare.

But 24 hours later, when Mr Somare announced his 18-man ministry, Sir John was also first to criticise the selection.

“I am disgusted, but not surprised,” he said in a statement in which he accused the coalition of trying to consolidate its power at the expense of the national in terest.

The Opposition has now reconfirmed Sir Tei Abal as its leader, and Sir John sits in solitary state as an ordinary inde pendent, but there are strong indications that he will lead an increasingly power ful anti-government faction in Parlia ment.

Mr Somare’s ministry is made up of nine members from his Pangu Party, six from the Peoples Progress Party led by Mr Julius Chan, and three independent supporters. It shows signs of the most difficult task Mr Somare had to face selection of ministers from all regions of the country rather than on the basis of

suitability alone.

This is a strong point in the PNG elec torate at large, which tends to see its ministers as exalted regional rep resentatives rather than as holders of na

tional responsibilities.

Parliament elected Mr Kingsford Dibela, a long-time associate of Dr Guise, as Speaker.

Here is the new ministry, in which the structure of portfolios is largely unchanged, and which has only eight of its former members because of the heavy inroads made by the national election: Mr Michael Somare, 40, Pangu leader: Prime Minister, National Planning Office and Pub lic Service Commission.

Mr Julius Chan, 38, PPP leader: Deputy Prime Minister and Primary Industry.

Mr Jacob Lemeki, 36, PPP; Labour and In dustry (new into cabinet and parliament).

Mr Barry Holloway, 42, Pangu: Finance.

Father John Momis, 35, Ind: Decentralisa tion (new into cabinet).

Mr Ebia Olewale, 37, Pangu: Foreign Rela tions and Trade.

Mr Bruce Jephcott, 48, PPP: Transport, Works and Supply, and Civil Aviation.

Mr Boyamo Sali, 30, Pangu: Natural Re sources.

Mr Oscar Tammur, 35, Ind: Education, Science and Culture.

Mr Patterson Lowa, 33, Pangu: Police and Corrective Institutions (new into cabinet and parliament).

Mr Louis Mona, 36, PPP: Defence (new into cabinet).

Mr Delba Biri, 32, Pangu: Justice and Liquor Licensing (new into cabinet and parliament).

Mr Gabriel Bakani, 39, PPP; Public Utilities (new into cabinet and parliament).

Mr Pita Lus, 41, Pangu: Commerce.

Mr Stephen Tago, 38, Pangu: Environment, Conservation and Human Settlement.

Mr Wiwia Korowei, 30, PPP: Health (new into cabinet and parliament).

Mr Pato Kakarya, 30, Ind: Youth, Re creation, Social Development and Women's Affairs (new into cabinet).

Mr Tom Koraea, 35, Pangu: Media.