Sir Michael Somare

Namah, Basil say sorry to Chief Somare

He said Sir Michael was a true father that always had a forgiving heart for his children.

Namah said what transpired was politics and nothing personnel.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil also apologised to Sir Michael for what they had done in 2011.

He said they realised that they did make a mistake with their actions in forcefully removing Sir Michael.

Basil also publicly apologised to Sir Michael in Wewak during Sir Michael’s 80th Birthday anniversary in March.

Sir Michael urges greater collaboration in Momase bloc

“Our region is rich, not only in non-renewable resources but forests, fisheries and rich land for agriculture development,” Sir Michael said yesterday.

He made this statement yesterday at the 14th Momase Governor's Conference in Lae, Morobe Province.

Madang, Morobe and East and West Sepik make up the Momase Region.  

“As a bundle we can progress better so it is important that we develop our Mamose (Momase) secretariat to take forward our collective decisions at these Governors' conference,” Sir Michael said.

Sir Michael says, it’s a challenge being governor

“It has been an interesting challenge being a governor over the last four years. The disconnection between the functions of the national and provincial government structures has become obvious to me in that time,” Sir Michael said.

He made this statement yesterday in Lae, Morobe Province when addressing the 14th Momase Governor's Conference.

“Even with the best intentions it has been difficult to implement projects.

Sir Michael condemns actions of police at UPNG

Sir Michael in a statement said: "It is inexcusable that unarmed students are fired upon by police as they prepare to peacefully march on to Parliament.

"We need to establish who gave the orders for policemen to inflict harm on unarmed students. What warranted police to surround the campus in the first instance?

“Is the University safeguarding the interest of our young people?

"I call on police to stand down in the interest of the public, you are not there to protect the interest of individual politicians.”

Parliament resembles the country’s diversity: Sir Michael

Sir Michael was the first prime minister when the country gained independence in 1975.

He expressed elation by the court judgment prohibiting the Speaker and L&A Construction from further mutilating the National Cultural Property at the Parliament House.

“We cannot undo what has already been done but we can seek redress, which was the path that I followed in taking the matter to court with the support of the National Museum,” Sir Michael said in a statement.

Sir Michael expresses sadness at the passing of late Agiru

Sir Michael in a statement said: “I came to know the late Governor Anderson Agiru in 1997 when he first entered parliament and worked closely with him after his re-election in 2007.

“He joined the new generation of leaders that entered politics at the time and was part of my coalition government until 2011.”

Sir Michael said they (Agiru and Sir Michael) worked well together to ensure Hela became a province and prior to that the delivery of the PNG LNG project.

Sir Michael Somare urges MPs to protest against O’Neill

He urged the MPs to represent the interest of their electorates and the true intent of the Constitution.

Sir Michael said: “People of Papua New Guinea must not tolerate elected leaders who are condoning the actions of Peter O’Neill regime by remaining silent. Silence means acceptance of the glaring abuses of processes that are taking place around us.

“Before long our institutions will be completely useless because elected leaders have neglected their duties to stand up against the current manipulations by leaders holding high offices.

Grand Chief Somare calls on O’Neill to step down

“I thus call on Peter O’Neill to respect the Office of the Prime Minister and surrender to police and appropriate authorities so they can carry out their duties without obstruction and interference.

“Calling members of the Royal PNG Constabulary vigilantes is intolerable when officers of the law are merely carrying out their Constitutional duties.

“No person including myself is above the law,” he said.

Voutas turns up for Chief Somare’s 80th do

Voutas travelled all the way from China to celebrate the occasion.

Voutas took over the Pangu Pati leadership from Bill Bloomfield in 1966.
He was a young patrol officer who had just picked up a degree in Indonesian studies at ANU at that time.

In the next few years Voutas became one of the founding fathers of the Pangu Pati and an adviser to PNG’s first prime minister, Michael Somare.
Voutas was a prominent, indeed an eminent, figure in PNG in the sixties and early 1970s – and then he was gone. So what became of Anthony Constantine –aka- ‘Toni’ Voutas?

Birthday goers return home from Wewak

Sir Michael exclusively told Loop PNG that he was happy with the outcome of his birthday and for his friends for making it successful.

In a brief interview at Boram airport, Sir Michael said he must involve himself in the celebrations and make sure his overseas friends and expatriates leave with a happy heart.

He was at the airport farewelling his friends when Loop PNG caught up with him. Loop PNG will be doing an exclusive interview with him this evening awaiting his response after his busy schedule.