79 Facts About Michael Somare

At the time of his death, Somare was the longest-serving prime minister, having been in office for 17 years over three separate terms: from 1975 to 1980; from 1982 to 1985; and from 2002 to 2011.

Michael Somare's base was not primarily in political parties but in East Sepik Province, the area that elected him.

Michael Somare was the first chief minister at the end of colonial rule.

Michael Somare returned to the office of Prime Minister from 1982 to 1985, and his longest stint in the position was from 2002 to 2011.

Michael Somare served as Cabinet Minister: he was minister of foreign affairs from 1988 to 1992; from 1999 to 2001 he was minister of foreign affairs, minister of mining and Bougainville, minister of foreign affairs and Bougainville affairs.

Michael Somare was leader of the opposition from 1968 to 1972, from 1980 to 1982, and thereafter in that position from 1985 to 1988, from 1992 to 1993, and finally from 2001 to 2002.

Michael Somare was governor of East Sepik from 1995 until 1999.

Michael Somare was a founding member of the Pangu Party which led PNG into independence in 1975.

Michael Somare resigned from the Pangu Party and became an independent in 1988.

Michael Somare rejoined the Pangu Party in 1994 but was sacked as a leader in the following year.

Michael Somare was then asked to join and lead the National Alliance Party.

On 12 December 2011, the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ordered that Michael Somare be reinstated as Prime Minister, ruling that O'Neill had not been lawfully appointed.

When Michael Somare announced his departure from politics, he made a blistering attack on O'Neill.

Ludwig Michael Somare was a policeman, rising to the rank of sergeant.

Meanwhile, Michael Somare's father was in hiding and fear of his life from the Japanese in Rabaul, but he remembers the Japanese with affection.

From 1946 Michael Somare attended Boram Primary School, then Dregerhafen Education Centre and Sogeri High School, graduating with a Leaving Certificate issued on behalf of the Australian state of Victoria in 1957.

Michael Somare liked to present himself in a lap-lap instead of in trousers.

Michael Somare was stressing his Sepik identity, despite being born in Rabaul on the islands and far from the Sepik, but he portrayed his time as a child in Sepik villages as decisive in forming his personality.

Michael Somare's father brought him there to the village of Karau in the Murik Lakes region when Somare's mother separated from him.

Michael Somare paid elaborate attention to his initiation and the role of matrilineal descent is evident there.

Michael Somare claimed the honorific title of Sana in his father's line.

At independence Michael Somare insisted on a ministerial rather than a presidential system.

Michael Somare stressed his background in the small emerging modern sector of Papua New Guinea rather than his immersion in Sepik culture in two long interviews at the end of his career.

Michael Somare was as a result one of the few Papua New Guineans with a command of the English language.

Michael Somare became a radio announcer in Wewak, East Sepik.

Michael Somare maintained that he was already in 1962 in favour of independence.

Michael Somare was in Port Moresby one of the founding members in 1967 of the Papua and Niugini Union party.

Michael Somare stood for election when opportunities opened up for native Papua New Guineans to enter the National Assembly in 1968 and he was one of the eight Pangu candidates who were successful.

Michael Somare embarked in politics practising a judicious mixture of opposition to and co-optation by the Australian government.

Michael Somare was leader of the opposition but he was a member of the Constitutional Planning Committee preparing for independence.

Michael Somare argued for example for a period of internal self government.

Michael Somare was particularly adept at steering a clear way among various conflicting forces.

Michael Somare succeeded in bringing all these centrifugal forces together at independence.

Michael Somare was praised highly when he left politics in 2016.

That is understandable because Michael Somare was not conspicuous as a policymaker.

That stressed the need for rural development and Michael Somare accepted that at that time.

The Mining Act 1992 and the Oil and Gas Act 1998 are the most important documents regulating the rapid growth in extracting natural resources but were enacted when Michael Somare was not in power.

The deeds of Michael Somare governments show one predominant trait in policy making: he was a fiscal conservative.

When Michael Somare succeeded Morauta as prime minister in 2002, there was a fear that Michael Somare would undo the privatisation of the preceding government and move away from the politics of austerity.

Income from natural resources was high and the Michael Somare government used it to reduce the public debt rather than increase public expenditure.

Michael Somare was a well travelled man when he became prime minister in 1975.

Michael Somare had for example visited East Africa, Sri Lanka.

Michael Somare wrote warmly about the Japanese occupation during World War II of his home area East Sepik.

Michael Somare travelled regularly to Japan and was awarded high Japanese honours.

However, in 2013, when Michael Somare was no longer in government, he advocated representation of West Papua on the MSG during the silver jubilee celebrations of the group.

Michael Somare suggested a presence of the West Papuans at the MSG on similar terms as China tolerated Hong Kong and Taiwan at APEC.

Michael Somare was however often keen to demonstrate his nationalism in relations with Australia.

That sentiment appeared in incidents: First: At the time of Papua New Guinea independence in 1975 Michael Somare demanded proper dignity for Papua New Guinean leaders when he considered that Australia's gift of an official house for Papua New Guinea's prime minister was insufficiently grand for the great statesman he considered himself to be: Australia abashedly acceded to Michael Somare's demands and provided a much more palatial official residence.

Second: In March 2005 Michael Somare was required by security officers at Brisbane Airport to remove his shoes during a routine departure security check.

Michael Somare took strong exception to this, leading to a diplomatic contretemps and a significant cooling of relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Michael Somare was travelling on a regular scheduled flight, and he was unknown to security staff.

Michael Somare's sandals had stiffening metal strips, which were detected by a walk-through scanner.

Michael Somare has been regularly blunt in his opinion on the relations with Australia.

Michael Somare strongly opposed the Morauta government's acceptance of asylum seekers under the Pacific solution program.

At the celebrations of thirty years of independence in 2005, Michael Somare complained that Australia was seeking to take control again and was prepared to totally destroy PNG's reputation.

Michael Somare initially refused to give such a speech in parliament as he was not awarded enough time and attention.

Michael Somare was by that time, no longer an undisputed authority.

The first reason that Michael Somare has faded from political importance is that he succeeded less and less to cultivate a consensus.

Michael Somare gained prestige after 2002 when he presided over a government that lasted its full term of five years, the first such occurrence since independence.

Once most MPs had left parliament and the yelling and cries of dictatorship died down, Mr Michael Somare crossed the floor, pointed his finger at an MP, Sam Basil, and shouted in Toc pisin words that translate as: If you were outside this chamber I would kill you.

Michael Somare returned to power after the elections in 2007 with large support in parliament.

Michael Somare was only unseated in 2011 when he was hospitalized in Singapore for an extended period because of complications after heart surgery and it became apparent that he may not be able to return.

Michael Somare had only the support of 20 MPs but the courts had backed him up.

Michael Somare relied on the law as well to get a compensation of a million US dollars for not being reinstated as PM during the constitutional crisis.

The name of Michael Somare turned up in connection with one of these concessions in his home area, the Sepik River Development Corporation.

The Australian newspaper published in 2008 a series of articles in which the Michael Somare family was connected to two more illegal concessions.

Michael Somare denied again his involvement but he had to retract this and claimed that it was his son Arthur who was involved in the first place.

Michael Somare declared himself however deeply disappointed in the REDD program at the Oslo conference on climate change in 2010.

The fourth reason for the decline in prestige of Michael Somare is the lack of modesty.

Michael Somare has always asserted himself in a big way, for example by assuming the honorific Grand Chief.

The problematic presentation of the self by Michael Somare was evident in his appearance before a Leadership tribunal following complaints about not handing in financial returns as required by the leadership code.

Michael Somare was found guilty of submitting late and incomplete annual financial statements, dating back to the 1990s.

That challenge was evident in the suggestion in 2008 by opposition politician Bart Philemon that Sir Michael Somare gives an explanation on how he obtained a A$349,000 three-bedroom executive-style apartment with private plunge pool in inner-city Cairns.

The Sydney Morning Herald accused Michael Somare of accepting a one million dollar bribe from the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE in the pursuit of contracts.

Michael Somare maintained that he never accepted bribes or inducements.

Michael Somare married his wife Veronica, Lady Michael Somare in 1965, having courted her in traditional fashion, and then immediately left to take up his scholarship at Administrative College.

Michael Somare was head of both his own family and that of his wife, Veronica Lady Michael Somare, who initiated him into their title mindamot two days after his initiation as sana.

Michael Somare died from pancreatic cancer in Port Moresby on 25 February 2021, at age 84.

Michael Somare received several honorary doctorates, the first being from the University of the Philippines in 1976.