'Michael Somare should make his intentions clear regarding leadership'

Bulolo MP Sam Basil said today that the agenda published in the media for the meeting of the National Alliance parliamentary wing scheduled for July 19 was not clear. 

“It is time Michael Somare told the nation whether he is going to keep to his commitment to hand over the leadership of NA, or not,” he said.

“Media reports today of the Prime Minister challenging the Opposition in the polls in 2012 suggest that he will run again and that he is not about to hand over the leadership of the party. 

“How many times is Sir Michael going to say it is his last time to stand for election? 

“He has been saying this for the last 15 years.   

“It is only fair to East Sepik voters for Somare to make up his mind and stick to it.

“If you look at Somare’s history in politics over the last 40 years, he has promised to hand over leadership so many times, but never done it once. 

“In the early 1980s as Pangu Pati leader he promised both Paias Wingti and the late Tony Siaguru that he would hand over leadership to one of them.

“He did not and both walked out of Pangu and started their own parties. 

“He then promised Rabbie Namaliu, but it did not happen.

“Sir Rabbie forced him out by forcing a vote. 

“Then in the 1990s Somare began interfering in the leadership of Pangu under Chris Haiveta, so Haiveta expelled him from the party.

 “From the very beginning of NA 10 years ago, Somare has been saying his job was to get the party established and then hand over to others.

“He promised NA leadership to Bart Philemon, but again did not deliver on his promise, so Bart started a new party. 

“Now he is promising many other leaders, but who can believe him. 

“History is clear:  Michael Somare will never hand over leadership.”

 Basil said:  “The reality is that he is trying to engineer his son to succeed him.  He does not want any other person to be the leader of NA.”