BY KEITH JACKSON
RETIRED COLONEL YAUWA SASA and some 20 mutineers remain holed up in Port Moresby’s Taurama Barracks and say they will not surrender until guaranteed a pardon.
This is the latest quirky development in a poorly planned and incompetently executed attempt to force the O’Neill government out of office and reinstate Sir Michael Somare as prime minister.
Meanwhile all air services in Papua New Guinea have resumed except flights to Wewak, a Somare stronghold and an important military base.
This was the second time in six weeks the Somare group had attempted to get the army to intervene in its dispute with the O’Neill government.
On the first occasion, in early December, the army refused to engage. This time minor elements did under the leadership of a retired colonel and with no great effect.
If the Somare group was hoping this action would trigger a more widespread uprising in the military, it seems to have badly miscalculated.
The critical questions now concern when the mutinous troops will be forced out of Taurama Barracks, under what circumstances and with what outcome in terms of their fate and the future of Somare and his supporters, who apparently motivated an attempted coup.
Meanwhile Somare’s daughter and chief spokesperson, Betha Somare, will not admit defeat.
She told The Australian newspaper: "There will still be a stand-off. They're not going to move against my folks. He's got a lot of people who support him," she said.
Ms Somare accused the O'Neill government of "illegally holding onto power".
"Our Constitution is at stake here. They've abrogated the Constitution and dismissed what the Supreme Court decided," she said.
Yes Phil! The station masters on the northern lines out of Brisbane have one of "these" as their boss.She wears pants, and has rather large arms! No need to go into any more details!
Such a pity that nobody so far has come up with a photo of that whiteboard business. Such naivety on the part of the Somare brood and "hangers on".
They want to run the place again and make a stupid error like this. Bizarre to the mind boggling!I don't think they could run water down a slippery dip!
Posted by: Colin Huggins | 28 January 2012 at 01:19 PM
If you suspect that Arthur Somare and his sister Betha are behind this comic opera Colin I'd suggest it doesn't bode well for the 22 reserved seats for women. I've had a couple of female bosses and know that they can sometimes be worse than the men. Maybe her aunties should have a quiet word with her.
Posted by: Phil Fitzpatrick | 28 January 2012 at 11:38 AM
The name doesn't worry me - the person does!
Question: #1 What does she want?
Question: # 2. What will she lose
Posted by: Colin Huggins | 27 January 2012 at 08:43 PM
Originally Bertha Keith. She changed her name when she got older.
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“As the Boeing 727 left Jackson’s Airport my heart started beating as I thought of my children – Bertha, Arthur and Sana. Sana was only one year and nine months old. I could see them again in my mind’s eye, weeping at the airport in Wewak. They knew that I would be away from them for six weeks.
"They have since become used to frequent partings and spending most of their time alone with their mother while I trot the countryside to satisfy my constituents. Yet it is a thankless job. No matter how much time I spend in the districts, the people still complain that they do not see enough of their regional member. They often grumble, saying I spend too much time in Port Moresby instead of with them.
"They don’t always realise that it is their business that takes me to the House of Assembly. But then, in politics nobody ever thanks you for what you do.”
-- Michael Somare talking about a visit he made to the USA on a leadership grant in October 1970. (Sana: An Autobiography of Michael Somare, page 78.)
Posted by: Phil Fitzpatrick | 27 January 2012 at 08:16 PM
Colin - Is it Betha or Bertha?
I believe Betha is a misprint which has been perpetuated.
The Wikipedia entry on Somare is interesting - I wonder who posted it?
____________
Betha is correct - KJ
Posted by: Peter Kranz | 27 January 2012 at 06:53 PM
Hmmmm!
Betha Somare! Shades of Imelda Marcos, Mugabee's wife, and Marie Antoinette of "Let them eat cake fame"!
Good heavens - she lost her head.
Watch out Betha!
Posted by: Colin Huggins | 27 January 2012 at 04:02 PM