A brief history of Enga politics

There is a political power struggle in Enga which is reverberating through PNG. We all know the big name key players, Abal, Ipatas, Polye and Duma.

Political power struggles are nothing new. But the fact that this one involves popular Engans brings us back in time, to another place and another chapter.

Wabag based correspondent DANIEL KUMBON guides us down the path to one dark corner of the brief history of Enga politics and focuses on the downfall off one aspirant and the elevation of another.

Part I: The rise and fall of Danely Tindiwi

DANELY Tindiwi cuts a brash lonely figure. Bereft of power and friends and battling poor health, the man from Kandep, who once wielded so much political clout, now lives a humble almost reclusive life outside Wapenamanda with the Yakuman tribe. Except for his one loyal wife - the rest are scattered - Tindiwi counts few friends.

Tindiwi was once a flamboyant and powerful man in Engan politics. But he is now remembered as the most controversial leader. He made history when he was jailed for seven years in 1984 for official corruption in only his first year of governance as premier under the newly introduced provincial government system.

Ten years later, Tindiwi made history again when he became the first premier to be suspended a second time for the same allegations - again after he was in office for only a year.

He constantly fights for his life going in and out of hospital after he suffered a stroke and became paralyzed from the waist down. Also, his sight is poor forcing him to spend his life around the house. Despite the physical handicaps, Tindiwi speaks clearly and his memory is acute, almost as clear as the day is bright and remembers events of his public life in minute detail.

Just before he suffered the stroke, he revealed why he was suspended in an exclusive but rare interview with this writer at his first wife, Peam’s village at Pawas near Wabag town on Saturday, March 17, 2001.

Pawas village is also the home of the current acting Prime Minister, Samuel Abal where he grew up with Enga Governor, Peter Ipatas when his father, late Sir Tei Abal was Opposition Leader. From there the future leaders saw how politics was played in PNG’s formative years.

Tindiwi had never talked to anybody about his time in prison or attempted to explain publicly why he was suspended but agreed to do so when the Enga Provincial Government now under Governor Ipatas was suspended a fourth time.

He claimed he was just a victim of ‘Enga politics’. “I was suspended purely for political reasons. I didn’t go to jail because I did anything wrong. It was all politics,” Tindiwi began his sad tale. “I can tell the truth, that’s not a problem. Enga people must know why I went to jail.”

To trace Tindiwi’s fortunes, we have to go back a few years. Danely Tindiwi was the executive officer of the interim Enga Provincial Government under interim premier, the late Don Kapi from Tole village, Wabag.

When the full elections came in 1982, Tindiwi nominated and won with an absolute majority to become the first ever elected premier.

In the first year of his reign, Tindiwi gained popularity on a grand scale. One other premier who enjoyed much popularity was his Southern Highlands counter-part, the late Andrew Andaija who was unfortunately killed in a plane crash at the Tari Gap.

But Tindiwi’s political leverage was shattered on February 9, 1984. He was suspended from office and a criminal court found him guilty and jailed him for seven years.

“There was not much public funds involved. And I didn’t spend a single toea with my fingers any of the public funds they talked about. I went to jail because I was the premier. I had failed to ensure that the money was deposited into the government’s BMS finance system. Instead the money ended up in the account of one expatriate contractor building the road,” Tindiwi said.

The road was the Kompiam link and the money involved was K50,000 released in 1983 by the late Sir Iambakey Okuk as Transport Minister from the National Government’s Transport Sectoral Fund. “I went to jail because the court believed I had conspired with the expatriate to steal the money. I couldn’t convince the court that I was innocent. I really had no option. I just went to eat rice at Baisu,” said Tindiwi.

Over a year later, after serving time at both Baisu Prison in the Western Highlands and Laiagam jail in Enga, Tindiwi was released on parole. People felt that Tindiwi had been wrongly imprisoned and when the next elections came in 1992, he was voted into office a second time.

But Tindiwi was a luckless man. He felt jinxed by ‘Enga Politics’. He was suspended a second time on March 12, 1993 following reports of gross mismanagement of public funds. It appeared he had not learnt from his first lesson.

“This was all politics again. I was suspended again because I had dismissed Luke Kembol as Secretary of the Department of Enga. But I don’t blame NEC or those behind the NEC to dump me. The main thing is I am still surviving and those who suspended me are also walking up and down the streets with me,” said Tindiwi.

However, there was light at the end of the tunnel. On June 4, 1994, Provincial Affairs Minister John Nilkare reinstated Tindiwi’s government saying the anomalies which caused the suspension were rectified by departmental staff. But they never did explain what the anomalies were.

Towards the end of 1994 and extending into 1995, the government reforms were drafted and formalized in which the existing Regional Members became automatic governors. The Open Members and Local Government Council Presidents became automatic members of Provincial Assemblies.

On August 8, 1995 Enga MP Jeffery Balakau was sworn in as the first Governor of Enga under the reformed system. Tindiwi was relegated to serve as Balakau’s deputy. Current Enga Governor, Peter Ipatas who was President of Wabag Local Government Council was also sworn in as one of the assembly members.

During the swearing-in ceremony Tindiwi said: “Today we must leave behind our political interests and work hard to build Enga. Under this new system of government, we leaders must not divide ourselves into small groups. We must all join hands and develop Enga with a new vision.”

But Tindiwi’s call to join hands evaporated into thin air. A few months after the ceremony, the Enga Provincial Government was suspended a third time. Allegations of misconduct in office were levelled against Governor Jeffery Balakau. He was subsequently found guilty by a Leadership Tribunal and dismissed from office in early 1996.

This paved way for Danely Tindiwi to once again assume responsibility of the top political post in the province for the third and final time as Acting Governor. “In that capacity, I appointed the current Governor, Peter Ipatas as my deputy in an assembly meeting in Porgera,” Tindiwi said. “But it was too late to realize my mistake. Ipatas challenged my position as acting governor and wrestled the seat away from me through the courts.”

There was obvious regret in his voice when he recalled the events which led to his downfall in his political life: “If I hadn’t appointed Ipatas as my deputy, he would never have won the governorship during the 1997 National Elections. But the past is the past, Ipatas is now our governor.”

The dreaded Engan enmity had struck again. The rise of Ipatas had begun.

Part II - The raise of Peter Ipatas

*this article first appeared in the Post Courier in 2011 . Used with permission