Michael Somare

Sir Michael Thomas Somare (9 April 1936 – 25 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician.

Widely called the "father of the nation" (papa blo kantri), he was the first Prime Minister after independence.

From 1946 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.

Having taught himself to read and write, he was subsequently active in encouraging formation of small businesses and co-operatives, founding the Angoram Co-operative Society which he chaired from 1961 until 1967.

In all, Ludwig Somare Sana had four wives and six children, of whom Somare was the eldest.

Born in Rabaul in a village called Rapikid, where his father was then stationed, Somare grew up in his family village of Karau in the Murik Lakes district of East Sepik Province.

Somare's earliest education was in a Japanese-run primary school at Karau during World War II where he learned to read, write and count in Japanese.

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

Somare's earliest overseas trips, first as a parliamentarian and then as Prime Minister, were to Japan.

This was a teaching qualification at the time, and he then taught at several primary and secondary schools, returning to Sogeri High School for further training from 1962 to 1963.

Somare liked to present himself in a lap-lap (a kind of sarong) instead of in trousers.

His political career spanned from 1968 until his retirement in 2017.

Besides serving as PM, he was minister of foreign affairs, leader of the opposition and governor of East Sepik Province.

He served in a variety of positions.

His base was not primarily in political parties but in East Sepik Province, the area that elected him.

He 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.

At the time of his death, Somare was also 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.

During his political career he was a member of the House of Assembly and after independence in 1975 the National parliament for the East Sepik Provincial – later open – seat.

He was the first chief minister at the end of colonial rule.

Thereafter he became the first Prime Minister after independence from 1975 to 1980.

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

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

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

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

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

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

When the new position of political governor as head of the provincial administration and representative MP was created in 1995, Somare took up the job.

He was governor of East Sepik from 1995 until 1999.

While Somare was in March 2011 hospitalised in Singapore, a majority of parliamentarians declared the post of Prime Minister vacant.

Peter O'Neill was the new prime minister.

This was contested.

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

This event triggered the 2011–12 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis.

After the last election that he contended, he again became Governor of East Sepik (2012–2016).

Following a decisive victory for O'Neill in the 2012 general election, Somare expressed support for him, thereby ending the crisis and forming a coalition government.

However, this truce did not last.

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

Somare was the son of Ludwig Somare Sana and Kambe Somare.

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

In 2017 he left politics and also the National Alliance Party.