Michael Somare
Encyclopedia
Sir Michael Thomas Somare, GCL, GCMG
, CH
, CF
, KStJ
, MP (born 9 April 1936) was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party
, but he then became leader of the National Alliance Party
. He was re-elected as Prime Minister in the 2007 election
, and his family announced his resignation due to ill health in June 2011.
. Having taught himself to read and write, he was subsequently active in encouraging formation of small businesses and co-operatives, founding the Angoram Co-operative Society which he chaired from 1961 until 1967, and remaining active in trading until his death in 1972. In all he had four wives and six children, of whom Somare was the eldest.
Born in Rabaul
where his father was then stationed, Somare grew up in his family village of Karau in the Murik Lakes district of East Sepik
Province. Somare's earliest education was in a Japanese-run primary school at Karau during World War II
where he learned to read, write and count in Japanese. Meanwhile Somare's father was in hiding and fear of his life from the Japanese in Rabaul, but he remembers the Japanese with affection. Somare's earliest overseas trips, first as a parliamentarian and then as Prime Minister, were to Japan.
From 1946 Somare attended Boram Primary School, then Dregerhafen Education Centre and Sogeri High School, graduating with a Leaving Certificate issued on behalf of the Australian state of Victoria
in 1957. This was a teaching qualification at the time, and he then taught at several primary and secondary schools, returning to Sogeri High School for further training from 1962 to 1963.
in the East Sepik Province. He received further training at the Administrative College at Waigani
in 1965. Following numerous conflicts with his superiors concerning his outspoken political comments, he was transferred from broadcasting to administrative roles, and left the Public Service to contest the elections for the second House of Assembly in 1968 as a member of the Pangu Party
which he had founded with other like minds in 1967.
Somare and eight other Pangu Party members were elected. They declined invitations to join the coalition government, and he became the first official opposition leader. Following the third House of Assembly elections in 1972, he was able to form a coalition government which included Julius Chan
of the People's Progress Party
, himself later a Prime Minister, as Minister for Internal Finance. Somare became Chief Minister when self-government was granted in 1973, and was a key figure in the preparations for subsequent independence in 1975 and the preparation and adoption of the Constitution.
Ousted by a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 1980, Somare was again Prime Minister from 1982 until 1985, and won the office a third time in the 2002 election
. He was re-elected again in 2007
, becoming the first and so far only Prime Minister to complete a parliamentary term and win re-election.
– in parliament and on similar occasions, and in many old photographs is the only political leader attired in a lap-lap rather than trousers. At the time of Papua New Guinea independence in 1975 Somare demanded proper dignity for Papua New Guinean leaders when he considered that Australia's gift of an official house for Papua New Guinea's prime minister was insufficiently grand for the great statesman he considered himself to be: Australia abashedly acceded to Somare's demands and provided a much more palatial official residence; the intended and despised prime ministerial residence was instead designated the residence of the Australian High Commissioner.
Somare's political style was both fiercely nationalistic and purportedly conciliatory, following the tradition of Sana as he professed to see it. One of the roles of Sana is to invite enemies to a feast before any fight. Somare often appointed political enemies to posts in which they could exercise their interests and passions. In the lead-up to independence, Somare argued for and won citizenship and residency requirements which were both more severe than the outgoing Australian administration recommended and more moderate than most of his party wished.
His autobiography Sana (1975), Somare lists many anecdotes. He tells how in 1971, he was concerned that the sacred objects, the ornately carved sacred spears or kakars and the sacred flutes, were being lost, destroyed, sold or stolen. After much negotiation with the gapars or priests he arranged to have the kakars of his village photographed. The kakars were only handled by the senior gapars, and only left or "came down" from the haus tambaran on the occasion of the gapars handing over the priestly function to another orob or generation. Somare himself was too young to be allowed to even see the kakars, but was included into the coming down ceremony as the interpreter for the photographer, who was of a suitable age to be attached to the next orob. Only after the ceremony was complete did he realise the significance of the sacrifice made by the older priests to allow these photographs to be taken. Over the following days they completed the initiation of the new orob, thus denying themselves the privilege of serving as gapars ever again (see also Lipset 1997).
Reflecting these interests, in 1969 Somare was appointed chairman of the board of trustees of the Papua and New Guinea Museum. The Grand Chief has not necessarily taken a notable interest in the Museum, however, which has fallen into serious decrepitude since Independence.
Somare married his wife Veronica, Lady Somare (generally referred to as "Lady Veronica Somare") in 1965, having courted her in traditional fashion, and then immediately left to take up his scholarship at Administrative College. They have five children, Bertha (usually called "Betha" in the national press), Sana, Arthur
, Michael Jnr and Dulciana. Somare is head of both his own family and that of his wife, Veronica Lady Somare, who initiated him into their title mindamot two days after his initiation as sana. Somare, together with the now-Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane
, makes a point of wearing a lap-lap
rather than trousers.
Somare is an avid supporter of the Kumuls, the Papua New Guinea national football team
.
from 1988 to 1992 in the government of Rabbie Namaliu
, who would later become Foreign Minister in his own subsequent government. Somare later served as Foreign Minister for a few months in 1999 and took this position again in July 2006. Somare is currently the Prime Minister. His probity has frequently been called into question. Professor James Chin of Monash University
writes:
In June 2007, the Weekend Australian reported that Somare had personal connections to logging of rainforest in his home province, East Sepik, with the forestry industry by leading the Sepik River Development Corporation(SRDC). PNG's Public Enterprise Information Minister and Prime Minister's son Arthur
, a leading shareholder, negotiated the logging deal with Hey Bridge Pty Ltd.
Somare's lawyers denied a personal association with the industry and demanded an apology by the Weekend Australian for the article publiished, although no apology was published by the newspaper.
In an interview during that time with PNG radio, Sir Michael acknowledged he was chairman of the SRDC and claimed the corporation was a "pet project" of his son Arthur
. Somare also said he had a forestry concession in the Angoram district where eight areas were being logged to generate revenue for communities to allow them to invest in agriculture and health clinics. The Somare family logging area includes the Lower Sepik
Concession, which the Mojirau Wildlife Management Area is part of.
"There are processes which we follow and some of us enacted those laws and some of us made those laws," Sir Michael said.
The newspaper asked to explain the inconsistency with the letter and his radio comments, Sir Michael's daughter and the Prime Ministers office press secretary, Betha Somare, said in an email to The Australian: "Go to hell!"
Till now the recommendation by retired Australian judge Thomas Barnett has not been acted upon.
A report by the International Tropical Timber Council, commissioned by Sir Michael's Government, shows that laws to prevent illegal logging in PNG were not policed. The Australian Government targeted the PNG forestry industry under a AUD$200million initiative in an attempt to fight illegal logging.
Axel Wilhelm, environment manager of Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau
, the biggest logging operator in PNG, claimed the Yale University Forestry School rated PNG forestry as sustainable in a letter published by The Australian. Rimbunan Hijau has made advertisements on PNG television stating the same. However, Melissa Goodall, Yale Centre Environmental Law associate director at Yale university, in a letter to the PNG Eco-Forestry Forum rejected the claims with 'dismay' by the PNG logging industry that the university had approved of how it operated.
"It is a true source of concern that any work associated with Yale might be misused in this way," Ms Goodall said.
She also said the University had a "fair degree of confidence" in a World Bank report estimating 70 per cent of PNG logging was illegal, which is disputed by PNG authorities.
, Australia, to remove his shoes during a routine departure security check and took strong exception to what he considered a mighty personal and national humiliation verging on blasphemy, leading to a diplomatic contretemps and a significant cooling of relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea. A protest march in Port Moresby
saw hundreds march on the Australian High Commission demanding an apology and compensation. However the Australian Government ignored the matter. Somare now avoids Australia and obtains medical treatment, when necessary, in Malaysia. Since Kevin Rudd
came to power in Australia, relations have improved, because Somare believes that Rudd understands the Papua New Guineans better than his predecessors and is therefore easier to talk to.
affair, in which Somare was implicated. Moti, a close associate of Manasseh Sogavare
, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
, was arrested in Port Moresby on 29 September 2006 under an Australian extradition request to face child sex charges over an alleged incident in Vanuatu in 1997. After breaking bail conditions and taking sanctuary in the Solomon Islands High Commission, he was flown to the Solomon Islands on a clandestine PNG Defence Force flight on the night of 10 October, causing outrage on the part of the Australian government. Australia then cancelled ministerial-level talks in December and banned senior Papua New Guinea ministers from entering Australia. Somare denied any involvement in authorising the flight.
who is PNG's State Enterprise Minister and a political heavyweight, was questioned on a AUD$685,000 four-bedroom home he had bought two months prior at Trinity Beach. Ombudsman Commission, Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta
, and former finance minister Bart Philemon requested an explanation over the provided documents evident of the purchased property.
A senior legal counsel official with the Ombudsman Commission, Vergil Narokobi, said they would investigate the Prime Minister and Arthur Somare
. "To afford such luxuries it is not something ordinary Papua New Guineans can do. It is a situation of unfairness, but that is my own personal view.
"We have to give them the benefit of doubt. On the face of it we will respect our leaders until the contrary is shown."said Mr. Narokobi
When Somare was requested for an interview in Cairns regarding the property, he declined and did not respond to a series of written questions. Former finance minister and anti-corruption campaigner Mr Bart Philemon said: "They have got to tell people in PNG how they funded those properties, otherwise it smells like corruption."
, out of three was the only Judge that called for dismissal, said Michael Somare's Attitude as prime minister's showed "a disregard bordering on disdain for his constitutional obligations".
"It would be bad enough in the case of any leader, but it is particularly reprehensible for one of his high standing and influential involvement in the initiation of the leadership code," he said.
, Somare was re-elected as Prime Minister on 13 August with the support of 86 out of the 109 Members of Parliament.
In March 2008, however, at the age of 71, Somare announced he would soon be stepping down from his position as Prime Minister, and ending his political career. He explained that, after forty years in politics, he simply "need[ed] a change" ("I don't think I have lost anything but the time has come"). In September 2008, Somare once again hinted at his upcoming retirement. Somare remains in power. More recently he has responded irately to moves within his current party and in Parliament to end his rule. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on 22 July 2010 that he had threatened to kill an Opposition MP:
as acting prime minister for the duration of the investigation.
In April 2011, Somare was admitted Raffles Hospital
in Singapore
for heart surgery, and remained in intensive care for as of late June 2011, when his family announced his retirement from politics, citing ill health.
In June, as he remained in hospital, it was reported Somare intended to stand down later in the year, so that his successor could be chosen to lead the National Alliance Party into the 2012 general election.
As in the 2002–2007 Parliament, Somare government has been taking advantage of the controlling parliamentary procedures by using its majority to overpower challenges and adjourning Parliament. A greater political stability has been the outcome of such tactics, but this has caused a nation widespread of complaints of ‘executive dominance’ of Parliament, and an overload of blogging against Somare directly. Somare's attempts to block, and suppress the Defence Board of Enquiry report into the Moti affair has been criticized openly. Also charges against Somare for failure to submit financial returns required under the country’s Leadership Code, were only additional to the Prime Ministers list of controversial issues.
Changes of the deputy prime minister have been frequent during the Somare governments period of 2002–present, but no attempt to groom a successor has been made. There was only an attempt by respected Finance Minister Bart Philemon seeking leadership within the National Alliance in 2007 which resulted in him being dumped by the party and therefore crossed over to the opposition. Often it is said Sir Michael would like his son Arthur Somare
, Angoram Open MP, to succeed him, but currently has the Leadership Tribunal to face.
Since 2004 the Somare-led government made good use of resources, providing 80 per cent of exports and 40 per cent of government revenue, using ‘windfall’ gains to assist especially government MPs with electoral development funds of PGK 17 million (AUD$ 7 million) each. With little or no transparency or monitoring of the expenditure, this turns these legislators into the executive government. Somare avoided a vote of no confidence in August 2009 when the government paid PGK 2 million to its MPs each. Also an alleged K60 million at least, has been dispersed from ‘trust’ funds to hold the Somare government together in late July 2010.
The new liquefied natural gas
(LNG) processing in Boera and other mining and petroleum developments is generating a new prosperity due to commence production in 2014, which is predicted to double Papua New Guinea
's GDP. A justified resource management is much needed for the nation if the forecast benefits are to be secured and distributed equally. To date the returns from management of major development projects has been poor and service delivery in many areas of government has dropped behind policy targets. Expect to see growing unrest, If the highly anticipated befinfits is not delivered to landowners while surrounded by big resource projects.
On the international stage, Papua New Guinea has become noteworthy in climate negotiations, leading the Coalition for Rainforest Nations
in proposals to include carbon credits for reduced emissions from deforestation (REDD) in the post-2012 international climate change agreement. Somare has personally endorsed the Forests Now Declaration
, calling for this and other new market based mechanisms to protect forests.
in Singapore
at the time of his retirement, more than three months after he underwent heart surgery in April 2011. Prime Minister Somare's son, Arthur Somare
, the Minister of Public Enterprise at the time, told a press conference in Port Moresby that his father had made the decision to permanently step down from the prime minister’s office and leave PNG politics. "It is our wish that Sir Michael will now pursue a life in retirement after nearly 50 years of active politics due to medical reasons and the uncertainty of the recovery period," he said.
Reports in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier
suggested that Somare could not communicate coherently at the time. In the retirement announcement, Somare's son, Arthur Somare, acknowledged that he had "not spoken to my father in a long time." To satisfy a requirement of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea, the government will send two doctors to Singapore to publicly confirm that Somare is too ill to return to office as Prime Minister.
in 1976. Somare was appointed a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in 1977 (as in Australia, the honorific "The Right Honourable" can only be granted when one is admitted to the British Privy Council), and was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
(GCMG) by the Queen in the Birthday Honour List of 1990.) In 2004 he received authorization from cabinet to create an honours system for Papua New Guinea. In 2005, the Princess Royal
invested him as one of the first Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu (GCL).
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Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CH
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
, CF
Fijian honours system
The Fijian honours system dates from the granting of dominion status in 1970, when the Fijian Independence Medal was awarded to participants in the Fijian independence celebrations...
, KStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, MP (born 9 April 1936) was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Since 2 August 2011, the Prime Minister has been Peter O’Neill of the People's National Congress Party.-List...
from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party
Pangu Party
The Pangu Party or Papua and Niugini Union Pati is a political party in Papua New Guinea.It was founded in 1968 by Michael Somare, who served as prime minister of Papua New Guinea as the leader of the Pangu Party from 1972 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1985...
, but he then became leader of the National Alliance Party
National Alliance Party (Papua New Guinea)
The National Alliance Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. It was founded in 1995 by Bernard Narokobi, Moi Avei, Bart Philemon and Masket Iangalio, who invited Sir Michael Somare to lead them to the 1997 elections after he had been sacked as leader of the Pangu Party.National Alliance...
. He was re-elected as Prime Minister in the 2007 election
Papua New Guinean general election, 2007
General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 30 June 2007 to 14 July 2007.For the first time, the election did not use first past the post , but rather Limited Preferential Voting, in which voters number...
, and his family announced his resignation due to ill health in June 2011.
Early life
Somare was the son of Ludwig Somare Sana and Kambe Somare. Ludwig Somare was a policeman from 1922 to 1947, rising to the rank of sergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. Having taught himself to read and write, he was subsequently active in encouraging formation of small businesses and co-operatives, founding the Angoram Co-operative Society which he chaired from 1961 until 1967, and remaining active in trading until his death in 1972. In all he had four wives and six children, of whom Somare was the eldest.
Born in Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
where his father was then stationed, Somare grew up in his family village of Karau in the Murik Lakes district of East Sepik
East Sepik
East Sepik is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Wewak. East Sepik has an estimated population of 343,180 people and is roughly 42,800 km square in size.-History:...
Province. Somare's earliest education was in a Japanese-run primary school at Karau during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where he learned to read, write and count in Japanese. Meanwhile Somare's father was in hiding and fear of his life from the Japanese in Rabaul, but he remembers the Japanese with affection. Somare's earliest overseas trips, first as a parliamentarian and then as Prime Minister, were to Japan.
From 1946 Somare attended Boram Primary School, then Dregerhafen Education Centre and Sogeri High School, graduating with a Leaving Certificate issued on behalf of the Australian state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1957. This was a teaching qualification at the time, and he then taught at several primary and secondary schools, returning to Sogeri High School for further training from 1962 to 1963.
Early life in the independence movement
Transferring within the Public Service, Somare became a radio broadcaster based in WewakWewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
in the East Sepik Province. He received further training at the Administrative College at Waigani
Waigani
Waigani is a suburb of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It includes the Parliament Building of Papua New Guinea, the University of Papua New Guinea, Morauta House, the PNG National Museum and the National Library....
in 1965. Following numerous conflicts with his superiors concerning his outspoken political comments, he was transferred from broadcasting to administrative roles, and left the Public Service to contest the elections for the second House of Assembly in 1968 as a member of the Pangu Party
Pangu Party
The Pangu Party or Papua and Niugini Union Pati is a political party in Papua New Guinea.It was founded in 1968 by Michael Somare, who served as prime minister of Papua New Guinea as the leader of the Pangu Party from 1972 to 1980 and from 1982 to 1985...
which he had founded with other like minds in 1967.
Somare and eight other Pangu Party members were elected. They declined invitations to join the coalition government, and he became the first official opposition leader. Following the third House of Assembly elections in 1972, he was able to form a coalition government which included Julius Chan
Julius Chan
Sir Julius Chan GCL GCMG KBE was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He is currently Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election...
of the People's Progress Party
People's Progress Party
The People's Progress Party is a political party in Papua New Guinea. It is led by Sir Julius Chan, and has 4 of 109 seats in parliament.It was founded in 1968 by Chan, who was Prime Minister from 1980 to 1982 and 1994 to 1997. Chan’s second government was brought down by the Sandline Affair and...
, himself later a Prime Minister, as Minister for Internal Finance. Somare became Chief Minister when self-government was granted in 1973, and was a key figure in the preparations for subsequent independence in 1975 and the preparation and adoption of the Constitution.
First and further terms as prime minister
With independence, Somare's title changed to Prime Minister.Ousted by a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 1980, Somare was again Prime Minister from 1982 until 1985, and won the office a third time in the 2002 election
Papua New Guinean general election, 2002
General elections were held between 15-29 June, 2002 in Papua New Guinea. Sir Michael Somare's National Alliance Party won the most seats, and he went on to become Prime Minister.-Results:...
. He was re-elected again in 2007
Papua New Guinean general election, 2007
General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 30 June 2007 to 14 July 2007.For the first time, the election did not use first past the post , but rather Limited Preferential Voting, in which voters number...
, becoming the first and so far only Prime Minister to complete a parliamentary term and win re-election.
Sepik identity
Somare has always had an interest and a pride in his background and culture. Although his initiations were interrupted several times by his career, he returned to his village regularly and completed them, culminating in his appointment as sana or peacemaker, a title inherited from his father and grandfather and conferred on him by his uncle Saub in 1973. Somare often chose to wear quasi-Melanesian rather than western dress—a lap-lapLap-lap
Lap-lap is a waistcloth or loincloth worn in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. This item of clothing has three parts: a front flap, a back flap, and a thread to tie them around the waist. The sides are generally open...
– in parliament and on similar occasions, and in many old photographs is the only political leader attired in a lap-lap rather than trousers. At the time of Papua New Guinea independence in 1975 Somare demanded proper dignity for Papua New Guinean leaders when he considered that Australia's gift of an official house for Papua New Guinea's prime minister was insufficiently grand for the great statesman he considered himself to be: Australia abashedly acceded to Somare's demands and provided a much more palatial official residence; the intended and despised prime ministerial residence was instead designated the residence of the Australian High Commissioner.
Somare's political style was both fiercely nationalistic and purportedly conciliatory, following the tradition of Sana as he professed to see it. One of the roles of Sana is to invite enemies to a feast before any fight. Somare often appointed political enemies to posts in which they could exercise their interests and passions. In the lead-up to independence, Somare argued for and won citizenship and residency requirements which were both more severe than the outgoing Australian administration recommended and more moderate than most of his party wished.
His autobiography Sana (1975), Somare lists many anecdotes. He tells how in 1971, he was concerned that the sacred objects, the ornately carved sacred spears or kakars and the sacred flutes, were being lost, destroyed, sold or stolen. After much negotiation with the gapars or priests he arranged to have the kakars of his village photographed. The kakars were only handled by the senior gapars, and only left or "came down" from the haus tambaran on the occasion of the gapars handing over the priestly function to another orob or generation. Somare himself was too young to be allowed to even see the kakars, but was included into the coming down ceremony as the interpreter for the photographer, who was of a suitable age to be attached to the next orob. Only after the ceremony was complete did he realise the significance of the sacrifice made by the older priests to allow these photographs to be taken. Over the following days they completed the initiation of the new orob, thus denying themselves the privilege of serving as gapars ever again (see also Lipset 1997).
Reflecting these interests, in 1969 Somare was appointed chairman of the board of trustees of the Papua and New Guinea Museum. The Grand Chief has not necessarily taken a notable interest in the Museum, however, which has fallen into serious decrepitude since Independence.
Personal life
Arthur Somare
The Honourable Arthur Somare is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He represents the electorate of Angoram Open in East Sepik province....
, Michael Jnr and Dulciana. Somare is head of both his own family and that of his wife, Veronica Lady Somare, who initiated him into their title mindamot two days after his initiation as sana. Somare, together with the now-Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane
Paulias Matane
Sir Paulias Nguna Matane GCL, GCMG, OBE, KStJ , formerly a career civil servant, was the eighth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea from 29 June 2004 to 13 December 2010.-Personal life:...
, makes a point of wearing a lap-lap
Lap-lap
Lap-lap is a waistcloth or loincloth worn in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. This item of clothing has three parts: a front flap, a back flap, and a thread to tie them around the waist. The sides are generally open...
rather than trousers.
Somare is an avid supporter of the Kumuls, the Papua New Guinea national football team
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
.
Between Prime Ministerships
During the seventeen years between his second and third terms as Prime Minister, Somare was appointed to political posts by other Prime Ministers. Somare served as Foreign MinisterForeign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
from 1988 to 1992 in the government of Rabbie Namaliu
Rabbie Namaliu
Sir Rabbie Langanai Namaliu, GCL, CSM, KCMG is a Papua New Guinea politician. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1988 to 1992 as leader of the Pangu Party...
, who would later become Foreign Minister in his own subsequent government. Somare later served as Foreign Minister for a few months in 1999 and took this position again in July 2006. Somare is currently the Prime Minister. His probity has frequently been called into question. Professor James Chin of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
writes:
- On the issue of corruption and tax evasion, clear evidence exists from the 1980s.The infamous Thomas [Barnett] Commission in 1989 laid out in excruciating detail how [Rimbunan Hijau] and its agents systematically paid off PNG politicians who threatened their logging operations. Even current Prime Minister Michael Somare was implicated in the report. He was referred to the Ombudsman Commission for allegedly lying under oath about a logging concession held by the Sepik River Development Corporation (SRDC) in East Sepik Province. The Commission report also gave details of transfer pricing to escape taxes worth millions of Kina.
In June 2007, the Weekend Australian reported that Somare had personal connections to logging of rainforest in his home province, East Sepik, with the forestry industry by leading the Sepik River Development Corporation(SRDC). PNG's Public Enterprise Information Minister and Prime Minister's son Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
, a leading shareholder, negotiated the logging deal with Hey Bridge Pty Ltd.
Somare's lawyers denied a personal association with the industry and demanded an apology by the Weekend Australian for the article publiished, although no apology was published by the newspaper.
In an interview during that time with PNG radio, Sir Michael acknowledged he was chairman of the SRDC and claimed the corporation was a "pet project" of his son Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
. Somare also said he had a forestry concession in the Angoram district where eight areas were being logged to generate revenue for communities to allow them to invest in agriculture and health clinics. The Somare family logging area includes the Lower Sepik
Sepik
Sepik may refer to places in Papua New Guinea:*Sepik River*East Sepik - a province*Sandaun - a province formerly known as West Sepik*Sepik region - consisting of East Sepik and Sandaun provincesIn languages it may refer to:...
Concession, which the Mojirau Wildlife Management Area is part of.
"There are processes which we follow and some of us enacted those laws and some of us made those laws," Sir Michael said.
The newspaper asked to explain the inconsistency with the letter and his radio comments, Sir Michael's daughter and the Prime Ministers office press secretary, Betha Somare, said in an email to The Australian: "Go to hell!"
Till now the recommendation by retired Australian judge Thomas Barnett has not been acted upon.
A report by the International Tropical Timber Council, commissioned by Sir Michael's Government, shows that laws to prevent illegal logging in PNG were not policed. The Australian Government targeted the PNG forestry industry under a AUD$200million initiative in an attempt to fight illegal logging.
Axel Wilhelm, environment manager of Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau
Rimbunan Hijau
Rimbunan Hijau is a Malaysian multinational logging company controlled by Malaysian businessman Tiong Hiew King...
, the biggest logging operator in PNG, claimed the Yale University Forestry School rated PNG forestry as sustainable in a letter published by The Australian. Rimbunan Hijau has made advertisements on PNG television stating the same. However, Melissa Goodall, Yale Centre Environmental Law associate director at Yale university, in a letter to the PNG Eco-Forestry Forum rejected the claims with 'dismay' by the PNG logging industry that the university had approved of how it operated.
"It is a true source of concern that any work associated with Yale might be misused in this way," Ms Goodall said.
She also said the University had a "fair degree of confidence" in a World Bank report estimating 70 per cent of PNG logging was illegal, which is disputed by PNG authorities.
Shoes episode
In March 2005 Somare was required by security officers at Brisbane AirportBrisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Australia, to remove his shoes during a routine departure security check and took strong exception to what he considered a mighty personal and national humiliation verging on blasphemy, leading to a diplomatic contretemps and a significant cooling of relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea. A protest march in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
saw hundreds march on the Australian High Commission demanding an apology and compensation. However the Australian Government ignored the matter. Somare now avoids Australia and obtains medical treatment, when necessary, in Malaysia. Since Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
came to power in Australia, relations have improved, because Somare believes that Rudd understands the Papua New Guineans better than his predecessors and is therefore easier to talk to.
Moti affair
Tensions between Papua New Guinea and Australia worsened during the course of the Julian MotiJulian Moti
Julian Moti QC CSI is the former Attorney General of the Solomon Islands. He was born in Fiji and educated in Australia.Moti worked as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast from 1992, and taught comparative constitutional law, public and private international...
affair, in which Somare was implicated. Moti, a close associate of Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was the sixth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2007. He has served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul since 1997, and he is currently the Leader of the Opposition.-Biography:Sogavare was Permanent...
, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, was arrested in Port Moresby on 29 September 2006 under an Australian extradition request to face child sex charges over an alleged incident in Vanuatu in 1997. After breaking bail conditions and taking sanctuary in the Solomon Islands High Commission, he was flown to the Solomon Islands on a clandestine PNG Defence Force flight on the night of 10 October, causing outrage on the part of the Australian government. Australia then cancelled ministerial-level talks in December and banned senior Papua New Guinea ministers from entering Australia. Somare denied any involvement in authorising the flight.
Fifty kina note
Somare's face appears on the face of the PNG fifty-kina note. This is due to the fact that Somare led the country to independence in 1975 and then served as founding Prime Minister. It has reportedly been perceived, some 15 years ago, that Somare is the King of Papua New Guinea.Anti Corruption Watchdog questions Somare over Cairns property
Sir Michael Somare was called up to give an explanation on how he obtained a AUD$349,000 three-bedroom executive-style apartment with private plunge pool in inner-city Cairns in April 2007, brokered through a Gold Coast lawyer. Along with his son Arthur SomareArthur Somare
The Honourable Arthur Somare is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He represents the electorate of Angoram Open in East Sepik province....
who is PNG's State Enterprise Minister and a political heavyweight, was questioned on a AUD$685,000 four-bedroom home he had bought two months prior at Trinity Beach. Ombudsman Commission, Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta
Mekere Morauta
Sir Mekere Morauta, KCMG is a Papua New Guinean political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea between 1999 and 2002, and later as Leader of the Opposition. He is the sitting member for Moresby North-West in the national parliament, and he was until recently the...
, and former finance minister Bart Philemon requested an explanation over the provided documents evident of the purchased property.
A senior legal counsel official with the Ombudsman Commission, Vergil Narokobi, said they would investigate the Prime Minister and Arthur Somare
Arthur Somare
The Honourable Arthur Somare is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He represents the electorate of Angoram Open in East Sepik province....
. "To afford such luxuries it is not something ordinary Papua New Guineans can do. It is a situation of unfairness, but that is my own personal view.
"We have to give them the benefit of doubt. On the face of it we will respect our leaders until the contrary is shown."said Mr. Narokobi
When Somare was requested for an interview in Cairns regarding the property, he declined and did not respond to a series of written questions. Former finance minister and anti-corruption campaigner Mr Bart Philemon said: "They have got to tell people in PNG how they funded those properties, otherwise it smells like corruption."
Suspension from Prime Ministers Office
Somare was found guilty of 13 charges of misconduct in office as a result was suspended from office for two weeks without pay. A leadership tribunal was set up made up of three judges that found Him guilty for submitting late and incomplete annual financial statements, dating back to the 1990s. Judge Sir Robin AuldRobin Auld
Sir Robin Ernest Auld was a Lord Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.Sir Robin was educated at Brooklands College and King's College London. He graduated with a first class honours degree in Law in 1958, obtained a doctorate in Law in 1963, and he became a Fellow of...
, out of three was the only Judge that called for dismissal, said Michael Somare's Attitude as prime minister's showed "a disregard bordering on disdain for his constitutional obligations".
"It would be bad enough in the case of any leader, but it is particularly reprehensible for one of his high standing and influential involvement in the initiation of the leadership code," he said.
2007 election
Following the 2007 parliamentary electionPapua New Guinean general election, 2007
General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 30 June 2007 to 14 July 2007.For the first time, the election did not use first past the post , but rather Limited Preferential Voting, in which voters number...
, Somare was re-elected as Prime Minister on 13 August with the support of 86 out of the 109 Members of Parliament.
In March 2008, however, at the age of 71, Somare announced he would soon be stepping down from his position as Prime Minister, and ending his political career. He explained that, after forty years in politics, he simply "need[ed] a change" ("I don't think I have lost anything but the time has come"). In September 2008, Somare once again hinted at his upcoming retirement. Somare remains in power. More recently he has responded irately to moves within his current party and in Parliament to end his rule. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on 22 July 2010 that he had threatened to kill an Opposition MP:
- "There were wild scenes when the Speaker adjourned the house until 16 November, despite the opposition's claim it had enough votes to stop the adjournment.
- "Once most MPs had left parliament and the yelling and cries of dictatorship died down, Mr Somare crossed the floor, pointed his finger at an MP, Sam Basil, and shouted in pidgin words that translate as: If you were outside I would kill you.
2010: suspension and illness
In December 2010, "amid failing health, he stepped down [...] to face a tribunal investigating misconduct for allegedly failing to submit full annual financial statements in the 1990s". He remained de jure prime minister, but appointed Sam AbalSam Abal
Samuel Tei "Sam" Abal is a Papua New Guinean politician. Abal, who previously served as Foreign Minister from August 2007 to December 2010, became the Deputy Prime Minister of the country in a cabinet reshuffle by Michael Somare on 7 December 2010...
as acting prime minister for the duration of the investigation.
In April 2011, Somare was admitted Raffles Hospital
Raffles Hospital
Raffles Hospital is a tertiary care private hospital and the flagship of the Raffles Medical Group , a leading private healthcare provider in Singapore and South East Asia...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for heart surgery, and remained in intensive care for as of late June 2011, when his family announced his retirement from politics, citing ill health.
In June, as he remained in hospital, it was reported Somare intended to stand down later in the year, so that his successor could be chosen to lead the National Alliance Party into the 2012 general election.
Somare Politics
In 2001, to stop Members of the Parliament from ‘party hopping’, party coalitions shifting, and votes of no confidence in the government of the day, the Organic Law on Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) was introduced. Being the reason the Somare government became the first since 1975 independence to last a full 5 year term. Although, the OLIPPAC did not stop party splits, MPs crossing the floor and attempted votes of no confidence from 2002 through to present. It is highly likely the Somare government will hold power through to mid-2012, protected against vote of no coincidence by the OLIPPAC.As in the 2002–2007 Parliament, Somare government has been taking advantage of the controlling parliamentary procedures by using its majority to overpower challenges and adjourning Parliament. A greater political stability has been the outcome of such tactics, but this has caused a nation widespread of complaints of ‘executive dominance’ of Parliament, and an overload of blogging against Somare directly. Somare's attempts to block, and suppress the Defence Board of Enquiry report into the Moti affair has been criticized openly. Also charges against Somare for failure to submit financial returns required under the country’s Leadership Code, were only additional to the Prime Ministers list of controversial issues.
Changes of the deputy prime minister have been frequent during the Somare governments period of 2002–present, but no attempt to groom a successor has been made. There was only an attempt by respected Finance Minister Bart Philemon seeking leadership within the National Alliance in 2007 which resulted in him being dumped by the party and therefore crossed over to the opposition. Often it is said Sir Michael would like his son Arthur Somare
Arthur Somare
The Honourable Arthur Somare is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He represents the electorate of Angoram Open in East Sepik province....
, Angoram Open MP, to succeed him, but currently has the Leadership Tribunal to face.
Since 2004 the Somare-led government made good use of resources, providing 80 per cent of exports and 40 per cent of government revenue, using ‘windfall’ gains to assist especially government MPs with electoral development funds of PGK 17 million (AUD$ 7 million) each. With little or no transparency or monitoring of the expenditure, this turns these legislators into the executive government. Somare avoided a vote of no confidence in August 2009 when the government paid PGK 2 million to its MPs each. Also an alleged K60 million at least, has been dispersed from ‘trust’ funds to hold the Somare government together in late July 2010.
The new liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
(LNG) processing in Boera and other mining and petroleum developments is generating a new prosperity due to commence production in 2014, which is predicted to double Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
's GDP. A justified resource management is much needed for the nation if the forecast benefits are to be secured and distributed equally. To date the returns from management of major development projects has been poor and service delivery in many areas of government has dropped behind policy targets. Expect to see growing unrest, If the highly anticipated befinfits is not delivered to landowners while surrounded by big resource projects.
Coalition for Rainforest Nations
Coalition for Rainforest Nations
The Coalition for Rainforest Nations is an intergovernmental organization established by forested tropical counties to collaboratively reconcile forest stewardship with economic development...
in proposals to include carbon credits for reduced emissions from deforestation (REDD) in the post-2012 international climate change agreement. Somare has personally endorsed the Forests Now Declaration
Forests Now Declaration
The Forests Now Declaration is a declaration that advocates using carbon credits to protect tropical forests. The Declaration was created by the Global Canopy Programme, and has been signed by over 200 NGOs, business leaders, scientists and conservationists...
, calling for this and other new market based mechanisms to protect forests.
2011 Resignation as Prime Minister and retirement
On 28 June 2011, the Somare family, led by his wife, Lady Veronica Somare, announced Michael Somare's retirement as Prime Minister and from politics. Somare was still hospitalized in intensive care at Raffles HospitalRaffles Hospital
Raffles Hospital is a tertiary care private hospital and the flagship of the Raffles Medical Group , a leading private healthcare provider in Singapore and South East Asia...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
at the time of his retirement, more than three months after he underwent heart surgery in April 2011. Prime Minister Somare's son, Arthur Somare
Arthur Somare
The Honourable Arthur Somare is a Member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. He represents the electorate of Angoram Open in East Sepik province....
, the Minister of Public Enterprise at the time, told a press conference in Port Moresby that his father had made the decision to permanently step down from the prime minister’s office and leave PNG politics. "It is our wish that Sir Michael will now pursue a life in retirement after nearly 50 years of active politics due to medical reasons and the uncertainty of the recovery period," he said.
Reports in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier
Papua New Guinea Post-Courier
The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier is a newspaper based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.With a circulation of 41,000, the Post-Courier is the largest selling Pacific Island newspaper....
suggested that Somare could not communicate coherently at the time. In the retirement announcement, Somare's son, Arthur Somare, acknowledged that he had "not spoken to my father in a long time." To satisfy a requirement of the Constitution of Papua New Guinea, the government will send two doctors to Singapore to publicly confirm that Somare is too ill to return to office as Prime Minister.
Honours
Somare has received several honorary doctorates, the first being from the University of the PhilippinesUniversity of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
in 1976. Somare was appointed a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in 1977 (as in Australia, the honorific "The Right Honourable" can only be granted when one is admitted to the British Privy Council), and was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(GCMG) by the Queen in the Birthday Honour List of 1990.) In 2004 he received authorization from cabinet to create an honours system for Papua New Guinea. In 2005, the Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
invested him as one of the first Grand Companions of the Order of Logohu (GCL).
Commonwealth honours
| Country | Award or Order | Class or Position | Dates | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea Independence Medal | – | 1975 | |
| United Kingdom | Privy Council of the United Kingdom | Privy Councilor | 1977 | |
| United Kingdom | Order of the Companions of Honour Order of the Companions of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion.... |
Companion of Honour | 1978 | | |
| United Kingdom | Order of St Michael and St George Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III.... |
Knight Grand Cross | 1991 | |
| Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea 30th Anniversary of Independence Medal | – | 2004? | |
| Papua New Guinea | Order of Logohu | Grand Commander | 2005 | |
| Fiji | Order of Fiji | Companion | year unknown (2005?) | |
| United Kingdom (Royal Order) | Venerable Order of Saint John Venerable Order of Saint John The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and... |
Knight of Justice | year unknown | http://www.pm.gov.pg/ |
Foreign honours
| Country | Award or Order | Class or Position | Dates | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatican City Vatican City Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of... |
Order of St. Gregory the Great Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See... |
Knight | 1992 |
External links
- Prime Minister's office
- "Somare – A political survivor", Rowan Callick, Islands Business, May 2008
- Prime Minister Michael Somare addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations, 27 September 2010 (video; transcript)
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