A COUNTRY PARTY

 

A very young Sinake Giregire.

THE EVOLUTION of THE PNG COUNTRY PARTY

 

"On 23 May, 1974, Michael Pondros, MP for Manus announced the Ten Point Policy of the Country Party and its separation from Australian Country Party on the floor of Parliament with 10 MPs and to be led by Sinake Giregire as the Leader.

 

SINAKE GIREGIRE: A FOUNDING FATHER AND THE JOURNEY OF COUNTRY PARTY

As our 46th year as a nation comes to an end, I wish to share with you the history of a once proud party that was at the very beginning in founding our great country.

At the helm of the PNG Country was one of the most iconic figures from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, a colourful man with stature and Big Man standing – Sir Sinake Giregire.

These sort of man in the true sense of the highlands Big Man chief are few. Most have gone with their knowledge.

In post-independence PNG, we cannot find them because their hallmarks of wisdom, resilience, integrity and hard work, are missing from today’s crop of national leaders.

The Kondom Agaundos, Akepa Miakwes, Iamkabey Okuks, Albert Kipalans, Tei Abals, Sinake Giregires, they don’t have a dna match in today’s ‘paitim bros’ generations.

Sinake Giregire was a simple but curious village boy who grew out of his boldness to become one of the most prominent pre-independence businessman and politicians of the 1960s.

Knighted for his immense contributions to agriculture, business and politics, Sir Sinake Giregire is widely known as the founding father of the PNG Country Party, also known as PNG Kantri Pati.

Sir Sinake would be best known as the only PNG who served on all Constitutional Development and Planning Committee from 1964 to 1975 and wanted to be the first Governor General and aspired to be Prime Minister.

Besides laying the foundations of the Country Party, which was largely filled with farmers, he also was a founder of now United Party (formerly Compass Party).

The existence of PNG Country Party is the result of earlier political developments prior to the Independence of Papua New Guinea.

According to PNG Country Party historian and strongman Wilson Thompson, there were attempts in 1964 to 1968 in formation of some sort of recognisable grass roots PNG political parties.

A meeting was held in Port Moresby and a Territory Country Party, organized along the Australian Country Party was formed in 1967.

However, this Party never entered into any election nor its leadership progressed. The connection between Australian Country Party and political parties in PNG was through the Compass Party (later United Party).

Despite talks and medica advocacy, the Compass Party was formed in Minj; WHP in 1967 by certain expatriate and indigenous Members of the House of Assembly led by Sinake Giregire, who were aligned with the Highlands Farmers & Settlers Association Incorporated (HFSA).

Members of HFSA in Parliament were Ian Downs, Highlands Special (President of HFSA), John Watts (WH Regional), Mike Casey (Kainantu), and Sinake Giregire (Goroka) the first indigenous member of HFSA.

Sinake Giregire was born before the first Lutheran missionaries established at the Asaroka Mission in 1933. He witnessed the Second World War as the Japanese bombed the Asaroka Airstrip and the Mission Station. He was sent to Heldsbach School in Finschhafen and returned to teach in Goroka.

He left in early 1950s to venture into what the expatriates were doing in well-established Kainantu District. He learnt about alluvial mining, timber milling and coffee. From proceeds from mining, he sawed timbers which were used to build houses and administration buildings in Kainantu.

He also found his gold nugget and within few years took that knowledge and got coffee seedlings to start his life in Goroka.

He started the Yanowa Coffee Plantation and was into farming and was the first national to be admitted into the expatriate only Farmers and Settlers Association. By 1964, Giregire was an icon in coffee, vegetable and livestock farming and in establishing the Highlands Commodity Exchange Ltd and had achieved his fame as the first indigenous millionaire.

In 1958 Sinake Giregire was elected Councillor and first President of the Asaro Watabung Local Government Council. While there, he contested the first 1964 Election and elected as Member of House of Assembly for Goroka Open, which comprised Goroka, Unggai Bena and Asaro Watabung Districts.

Giregire was appointed to the First Cabinet as Minister responsible for Services that included Communication, Housing, Works and Supply, Electricity and appointed to the first Constitutional Development Committee.

In 1967, the Territory Country Party was established as Branch of the Australian Country Party, now National Party of Australia. However, with expatriates and himself the Compass Party was formed in Minj; WHP in 1967 with Giregire as Leader.

Expatriate and indigenous Members of the House of Assembly led by Sinake Giregire, renamed the Compass Party to United Party and Giregire relinquished its leadership to Tei Abal and Deputy Leader to Paul Langro, who were both also knighted.

After its formation, Tei Abal (Wabag) was appointed its Leader with Giregire as Deputy. The United Party went into 1968 Elections and returned as a force against the pro-independence, Pangu Party. As the Party was conservative, most of its Members were appointed Ministers and Vice Ministers. 

The Party went again to the polls in 1972 and returned and with self-government in 1973. Tei Abal and Sinake Giregire and Paul Langro were appointed to the Constitutional Planning Committee.

In 1968, Giregire was elected into Second House of Assembly and was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Stock, Fisheries and Forestry. He was appointed to the second Constitutional Development Committee. Giregire negotiated the funding of teaching facilities with the UNESCO for the Goroka Teachers College, now University of Goroka.

As Minister, he Introduced sugarcane and oil palm planting from Kuching, Malaysia and sourced funding for the establishment of Agriculture Training College for Sepik, Highlands, Popondetta and Vudal. 

He was then shifted and appointed Minister for Post and Telegraphs (Communication). He visited the World Bank and sourced the first World Bank funding for communication infrastructure that saw the repeater stations rollout, Post Office or PTC office building and upgrades across the country. The SeaCom cable from USA through Guam to PNG was connected to Madang that saw PNG getting telephone calls directly than operator assistance such as in Australia.

 

In 1972 he was elected Member for Daulo in the Third House of Assembly and appointed to the third Constitutional Planning Committee that toured the country and selected countries to adopt a government system and constitution for the Independent State of PNG.

In March 1974 Michael Pondros, Member for Manus formally announced that Country Party to be established in PNG, independently of the Australian Party and announced the Ten (10) Point Policy. Some interesting Country Party highlights includes election of Mathias Yaliwan for Yangoru seat and the Peli movement. He resigned and his protégé Linus Hepau was elected.

During the Constituent Assembly debates of the Constitution, Giregire formed the Nationalist Pressure Group comprising Mataungan, Melanesian Alliance, PPP and Country Party to push for and adopt the Constitution as it was to oppose the Pangu majority where United Party at times sided with Somare to remove certain provisions in the proposed Constitution such as removal of provincial governments, citizenship issues and separation of powers.

The third Party was the Peoples Progress Party under Julius Chan (Namatanai). At this time, the Australian Country Party sent an officer to PNG to work on establishment of a party. This was going on in Goroka and there were talks of a Country Party. The Country Party was formally recognized on the floor of Parliament in March 1974 under the leadership of Sir Sinake Giregire (MP for Goroka and later Daulo) and Michael Pondros (Manus).

Its policy was focused on the Eight Point Plan of the PNG Government with its emphasis on development of agriculture, sustainable use of resource, rural development and economic growth with urban centres as service centres.

In September 1975 Giregire was nominated for the first Governor General but lost to Sir John Guise.

In 1977 he nominated Tore Lokoloko of Country Party as Governor General to succeed Sir John Guise who resigned to contest elections. In 1982 he announced that Country Party will form Government but founders Sir Sinake Giregire and Michael Pondros lost election and Members like Suinavi Otio and others joined PPP. 

In 1983 – Sinake Giregire, President of Country Party was awarded MBE for services to politics.

In 1987 – Peter Kuman, Member for Chimbu Regional was the Party Leader and took to 1992 Elections to suffer defeat in 1997 National Elections, no Members elected. Non-Parliamentary Leader and former Kumul forward Dekot Koki led the party. But something else happened - the former Country Party MP for Goroka (1977-1982) and later National Party member, Sir Silas Atopare was elected 7th Governor General. He was the second from Country Party.

In 1997, Silas Atopare was elected Governor General of PNG. He was a Country Party Member for the Goroka Open from 1977 to 1982. This brought renewed interest towards the re-organization of the Party.

In 1998 – Sinake Giregire awarded Companion of Star of Melanesia (CSM) for services to agriculture and business.

On 30th Independence Anniversary in 2005, Prime Minister Grand Chief Somare called all members of Constitutional Planning Committee and congratulated them and hosted function which includes John Momis, Sir John Kaputin, Matiabe Yuwi, John Numi, Angmai Bilas.

Somare announced the Knighthood for Sir Sinake Giregire and Sir Matiabe Yuwi. In the same year with by-election, Jamie Maxtone Graham was elected MP for Angalimp South Waghi and 2006 Jim Nomane elected Member for Chuave under Country Party.

In 2008, the Country Party moved Motion for the Inquiry into the Finance Department, which saw the establishment of Commission of Inquiry, the Report has been gagged from debate by Court proceedings. 

In the ensuing change of government on August 2, 2011, Peter O’Neill, Prime Minister rewarded Country Party with two Ministries, Thompson Haroqkave, MP for Goroka and Minister for Environment & Conservation and Jamie Maxtone Graham, Minister for Health.

In 2012 National Elections, the Party returned with three but one was listed as independent being, late Richard Mendani MP (Kerema) and Jeffrey Kuave MP (Lufa). The Country Party voted with O'Neill as signatory to Alotau Accord.

However, the Party was not rewarded with Ministry, Vice or Parliamentary Committee. Hence, Kuave was appointed Shadow Minister for Community Development, Sports and Pacific Games.

In 2017 the Country Party returned with Henry Ame, Member for Goroka and Vice Minister for Agriculture and Livestock and Chris Haiveta, Governor of Gulf Province and its Leader.

Both MPs have since joined other parties.