Nation building and the necessity of historical national symbols

By PNG Echo. Who gave Speaker of the Papua New Guinean Parliament, Theo Zurenuoc, the right to shape Papua New Guinea after an image that he chooses? Who gave him the right to arbitrarily reinterpret the constitution and what the founding father’s meant – and to decide where they’d erred? I’m speaking, specifically, of the tearing down of traditional artefacts originally commissioned for the Haus Tambaran to be replaced by others that the Speaker finds more to his taste, sensibilities and his personal interpretation of the Christian doctrine.

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Polye or Namah? Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

By PNG Echo. In an interview given to EMTV at the end of last week, Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill commented on a number of issues including: the recent defections (?) to the Opposition, the Grand Chief’s move to the middle benches (or the opposition depending on who you listen to) and the UBS loan. The Prime Minister reminded his audience that PNG, as an adherent to democratic principles, was governed by the virtue of numbers – and he had them In fact, O’Neill has almost 60 Members of Parliament in his own PNC party, according to figures he quoted. With Continue reading Polye or Namah? Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

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