Oh, Belden mate, why do this in public at all?

REGINALD RENAGI

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Belden Namah of the caretaker government is now on a whirlwind election campaign tour of the New Guinea Islands region and is currently transiting through Manus Province.

Yesterday, the MP for Vanimo-Green took some 45 minutes to tour the Lombrum naval base.

Belden Namah wooed the ship’s company by saying something to the effect that when he forms the next government and becomes the top honcho, he will build up the PNGDF (K1 billion), RPNGC (K1 billion) and Corrective Services (K0.5 billion) respectively.

The navy boys may be smiling to themselves as they see new fast patrol craft on the horizon under the next government (possibly).

Later in the day the DPM attended a political rally in Lorengau township.

Belden Namah surprised the crowd whilst certain official speakers were still addressing them by quietly leaving the grandstand.

He was then seen being escorted by the police to the nearby Bank South Pacific.

After a few minutes inside the bank, Namah returns to the rally, mounted the stage and openly made a K100,000 cash donation to two PNG Party-endorsed candidates.

Namah told the crowd to give their support to them as they applauded this gesture, while some unhappy people called out to the two endorsed candidates, “Na u tasol? Na blo mipela wer?” [‘That’s yours; where’s ours?’]

Radio Manus reported the DPM’s visit to Manus but only refrained from what happened at yesterday’s political rally at Lorengau (especially the antics).

Former Manus MP Nahau Rooney spoke live on the Dabai radio program this morning with NBC’s Matilda Gaveva to express her disappointment about Namah's strange behaviour.

Nahau Rooney asked the question: why couldn’t the DPM do this behind closed doors?

She then appealed to all PNGeans not to put this government into office due to such antics by politicians and candidates during their election campaign.

Comments

[Steven Sorua]

What a shame! And I wonder how much of PNG has already been sold for such donations.

We are slaves in our own land yet Belden Namah and his likes won't stop.

[Phillipa Carr]

It would have been better if Namah put the money into a cannon and shot it into the air like confetti - at least some of the grassroots would actually get something that way!

[Joe Wasia]

These are so called political gimmicks. Shame on this DPM! You cannot remain in political power with your money power. That's in reality world.

Just go home and do the basics, ah! Bring much needed infrastructure services like health and education to your people with the money that you pour here and there.

If you do these then you and your party will be recognized all over the country.

[Colin Huggins]

Strange behaviour, Reg, eh? Seems par for the course with this fellow. I wonder, does he cheat at golf also?

Money trees seem to be in abundance with Belden Namah!

I wonder who signed the papers for the Chinese (PRC) to start building roads and bringing in their nationals to do so? I think the PRC did similar things in Africa, with questionable results.

Seems some now in power are doing odd things of terrible proportions just to retain power. Let's hope sense and prudence will prevail.

I wonder what Foreign Minister Bob Carr, now somewhere in the Middle East and God only know where next, Shadow Minister Julie Bishop and, to be polite, Parliamentary Secretary Richard Marles have to say?

The answer may be zilch! After all China is just digging up Australia, so why not dig up PNG?

I would love to know the thoughts of the ambassadors of various legations in Port Moresby. Head scratching! One embassy must be laughing themselves into a frenzy of mirth.

Hopefully, these new elections will see all the present mob thrown out. But will the replacements be any better? Let's pray and hope so. The citizens of PNG deserve better.