By Susan Merrell

It’s known as the ‘Land of the Unexpected’ – a character-defining phrase worn as a badge of honour by Papua New Guineans.

‘Expect the unexpected’ is the catch-cry of the PNG Tourism Authority – but he didn’t !

Belden Norman Namah had high expectations that a combination of unharnessed power, bullying, self-serving, rushed legislation that would nobble his political opponents and buckets of money ($AU15 million alone spent on his election campaign) would mean certain success in his quest to become the Prime Minister of what would be, after the June 2012 elections, the indisputably legal government of Papua New Guinea.  The expectations remain unfulfilled.

Political Ascendancy

When newly-elected MPs walked into the parliamentary chamber for the first time since the election last Friday (August 3), it had been almost a year to the day since Namah had led a political coup and become Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea in a legally-disputed government

A self-confessed “Multi-billion-dollar logger” who was not only Deputy Prime Minister but also Minister for Forestry  (after having held the portfolio in the previous government of Sir Michael Somare – tell me the irony hasn’t been lost) he had expended much cash and energy to bring about the coup.  He was widely touted as the possible saviour of PNG.  He promised PNG a new “young and vibrant” leadership.

PNG got far more than it had bargained for.

Ruthless and arrogant, not for Belden Namah the niceties of diplomacy. A military man, Namah takes no prisoners, leaves no bridge unburned.  His raw ambition was palpable and no one would stand in his way – his fortune guaranteed that – or so he thought as he bulldozed his way through the next twelve months.  Prepared to do whatever it took to hold onto power, he seemed unstoppable.

Namah’s errors of judgment and decency (and this list is not exhaustive)…

Namah’s lack of diplomacy extended to his coalition partners (government is always a coalition in PNG – the party system being weak.).  Public humiliation was a well-used weapon in his arsenal.  Within months, for example, on national radio, he called for the resignation of the Prime Minister to whom he was deputy. It was the first Prime Minister O’Neill had heard of Namah’s displeasure.  The rift was quickly patched up but it left scars.

To Don Polye, the former Deputy Prime Minister under the Somare regime, then a Minister in the O’Neill/Namah government, Namah gave the command in earshot of journalists at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to”…f**king shut up”, when Polye had the temerity to disagree with Namah.  In fact, it is widely reported that Namah would, without mincing words, remind the members of the NEC who it was that had put them there.

He was no less outrageous in how he dealt with the people of his electorate.

For while Namah eventually won his seat this election, he was initially trailing badly in some districts – before his final romp home on preferences. In his victory speech he acknowledged the districts that didn’t vote for him by telling them of his intention to represent, in parliament, only the districts that had voted for him – not the whole electorate.  Those that hadn’t could look forward to”…five years of suffering”  (five years is the parliamentary term).

Internationally, and during his tenure, the man had embarrassed the people of PNG and his government when a previous drunken, debauched episode at Sydney’s Star Casino made headlines in Australian newspapers.

It wasn’t confined to Australia either: tensions between Indonesia and PNG were manifest when a private jet flying Namah and a coterie of ‘hangers on’ was buzzed by Indonesian fighter jets.  It is widely suspected that it had something to do with large amounts of cash that was on board (literally millions) and an Indonesian fugitive suspected to have been on the flight.  No one has told the truth behind this incident – not Indonesia, not Namah.

Back home in Port Moresby, in May of this year, Namah violated the sanctity of the PNG courts in his vendetta against the Chief Justice (who had ruled the government formed after the coup as illegal – twice).  Namah stormed into the Supreme Court, interrupting the court while it was in session leading a contingent of soldiers and police.

From the back of the court Namah pointed at the Chief Justice and shouted: “Arrest him.  Arrest him”.

Namah’s henchmen hesitated, recognising the enormity of what they were about to do, giving Sir Salamo Injia, Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea a window of opportunity to leave via a side door and avoid the ignominy of being arrested in his own court.  This action was condemned both nationally and internationally.

But it was a timely onslaught as Sir Salamo Injia was scheduled to preside over a charge of Contempt of Court charge against Namah later that day.  He never did.

…proves his downfall

Under the circumstances, why Namah expected that the top job was going to be his for the taking is anyone’s guess.  But he did.

During the ‘horsetrading’ period after the elections, (between when seats have been declared and government is formed) when alliances and coalitions are moulded and where the stronger parties do the necessary to attract numbers, doubt had obviously crept in as Namah’s PNG Party took out a full-page advertisement in the national newspapers inviting newly-elected members to join the party.  Namah stated that he would be amenable to giving away the Prime Ministership – as if it were his to give.

It was desperation.

Namah’s previous coalition partner and former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill held prime position with his party winning most seats, (hence would be invited to form the government by the Governor-General). In fact O’Neill had three times more winning MPs than Namah whose party had fared particularly badly, including losing one of his deputies.

O’Neill’s coalition would not be entertaining Namah making it almost certain that Namah would not be in government at all.  O’Neill had the numbers approx. 80/10.

Yet Namah’s supporters held to the futile hope that he would produce an 11^th hour upset – such a figure of legend had he become.

On Friday 3 August 2012, on the floor of the parliament, Namah’s rejection for Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea was manifest. The newly sworn in MPs voted 94-12 in favour of O’Neill as Papua New Guinea’s next Prime Minister.  Namah’s arrogance had not served him well. A pathetic figure, he sat amongst 11 other men in a field of 111 (that, happily, included two women on the government side).

In this I played my part

This writer has spent 9 months waging a media campaign against this man in the PNG social media pages and the blogosphere, I’m extremely pleased with the outcome for PNG and am proud of any small part I may have played in his downfall.

In the immediate aftermath, in the social media, I posted.

“On 1 August 2011, Belden Namah was Leader of PNGs Opposition. Almost a year to the day, 3 August 2012, he is, once again, Leader of the Opposition.
In the interim he’s spent probably upwards of 50 million kina on a political coup (only partially successful) and an election campaign that gave him back his seat and not much else.

In the interim he has decimated a political party who went into the elections with 25 sitting members which is now reduced to around nine.

This is probably the most spectacular failure I’ve ever witnessed. ”

“A failure well deserved”