Don Polye sets record straight that he did not create a monster in Peter O'Neill

By DON POMP POLYE

The argument that you have presented in saying " Don Pomb Polye created the Monster in Peter O'Neill or the current Government " is a view shared by some too.

This point of debate has been in the conversations from time to time and this time presents an opportunity for some clarification from me.

Let me say here that such statement has no wisdom in it. In fact it's a very weak argument. Such arguments should not be seen as a good factor of analysis. Let Me justify:

1. The truth is different! The facts being;

I was a candidate for PM that time. The late Hon Jeffery Nape being a very powerful Speaker was NOT supporting me. The Speaker was in Full support of Hon Peter Oneill. Hon Belden Namah the leader of Oppoition was not supporting me either. Due to an earlier breakaway from NA Party , Hon. Puka Temu and Hon Charles Abel all supported Oneill. I was an NA man so the whole opposition was skeptical about me. In fact a very Senior leader approached me and delivered the message to me that because I was NA, he and others wouldn't support me either. I had almost no time to form a new Party ! Neither was there a prepared Party for me and my team to blend into. So the challenges surpassed time and reason.

Hon Jeffery Nape , the Speaker's position was that, if the Prime Minister's position nominee was Don Pomb Polye, he would not entertain the motion. (( And dont forget. It was not a normal constitutional process of a VONC anyway. It was done using the inherent powers of the Parliament so that the Speaker of the House became the law of the process at that time. The Speaker was the Authority.))

I challenged the Opposition and the Speaker to a secret ballot voting between me and Hon Peter O'Neill. The secret ballot was conducted an hour before entering Parliament to voting he PM. I lost in the Secret ballot promoted by the Speaker and Opposition Leader campaign against me in the camp. I fought on as Minister Treasurer and Finance. I continued on as Treasurer after 2012 national elections. You know the rest. I endeavoured to make MYSELF PRIME MINISTER of PNG but Hon Jeffery Nape and Hon Belden Namah and others were not in the same like -- mindedness with me . My plan to become PM fell through. But I never failed the people! I did play my game.!

2. Avoid " Easy to be wise after the incident " points in debates. Of course I knew Oneill was not a fit and proper person to be PM so I was stiff in offering myself as the best candidacy for PM to all in the camp in 2010.and 2011. The key player, the Spesker bring supported by other politicians saw it otherwise. My persistence in persuading them fell on dead ears. Although i did foresee that Oneill would prove to be not the best choice, the others did not see with my eyes! BUT that doesn't mean we condemn the late Jeffery Nape or the then Opposition leader Nelden Namah in not supporting Don Pomb Polye but Peter Oneill. 

They were ordinary humans , thus thought Oneill would have learnt from his previous NPF implications and do much better this time . But after last 7 years it is proven that Oneill has done so many questionable things, therefore IT IS SO EASY to blame those voted him in. It is the issue of 'easy to be wise after the incident'. So the best thing is that you all as a nation do have the power to change PM Oneill by applying any strategy now instead of labouring on the past WHEN not all in the past would seen or known the future.

Ask yourself, " what can I do to change the present mediocrity?" Dont blame the past. It's like blaming one's parents as to why they brought one into existence.

3. Finally, PNG doesn't have a leadership screening process to dissect leaders worthy of occupying public office. The media and all state institutions and constitutional offices are subjugated and compromised most of the time. The systems are controlled by the political authorities and marketing or exposing of leadership is almost non existence. For instance I did propose the PM to a National economy debate with me as Leader of the Opposition before the 2017 elections but he declined. A strong institutional culture of debate or leadership scrutiny would have forced us to the debate. But such is non existent in PNG. 

Also, there is no investigational reporting by public or private media. All media outlets in PNG are controlled. Besides our people's exposure to analysing people through such medium is limited by illiteracy or cultural ignorance. On top of that our laws allow any body regardless of background to contest elections or apply for positions and occupy any office without resistance by anybody or stopage by law

The point here is that the MPs who voted in Oneill as PM at that time against my own candidacy for PM would not have had a leadership analysis platform to choose between me and Oneill. So we can not really blame them for voting in Oneill as PM that time.

However, now that the country is so aware of the goodness and badness of current PM and MPs, people do have the inherent power to remove or retain leadership or Government.

So hopefully I have in a way highlighted to PNG the facts surrounding me being blocked by the Speaker and others from becoming the PM in 2010/2011.

I never gave up neither circummbed to another. I as a contestant never failed.!

Don Pomb Polye