Experts lament absence of good, capable leaders in the Pacific

Samisoni Pareti
Good, accountable and clean leaders are becoming a rare breed in the Pacific, political experts in the region say.

The problem, they say, is much to do with the overly high expectations and extreme demands of society, as well as a system that tends to reward divisive and clan-based politics.

“I feel the current culture, ethics and society do not help such people to come through,” explains Dr Padma Narsey Lal, an environmental economist working with a regional organisation.

“In my view, our society has lost its moral compass. We reward persons who go against the rule of law. We reward people who side with coup perpetrators.

“There is a rot in our society that gets deeper and deeper. In our society, there is a greater emphasis on short-term gain, regardless of what values we trample on.

“There is a rot in the society that seems to permeate throughout all walks of life.

“Not enough attention is being paid to broader things in life that are more important—our children are not learning about great thinkers, leaders, from Fiji, Pacific, or the world. “Our education system is falling short.”

Failure to groom leaders: Another leading commentator on the Pacific, Canberra-based Professor Satish Chand believes education is failing to groom leaders of the Pacific.

The region, he believes, needs only to look at its history to see the link between education and good leadership.

“We had historically trained people for leadership. Traditionally, Pacific communities did this well. 

“As pointed out in my previous pieces, tribal conflicts ensured that leaders remained honest to their responsibilities. 

“Post-colonisation, the colonial authorities invested in grooming leaders for leadership in the post-independence period. 

“Think of Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Mara, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, etc. 

“We are no longer grooming people for leadership roles any more on the assumption that the democratic system will do this for us.”

Apart from education, the associate professor at the Australian National University’s Crawford’s School of Economics and Government, believes the political system we have does not promote good leadership.

“We have leaders who are more than willing to rob one clan or community to reward another to consolidate their own political position. 

“This, however, leads to the sort of waste and corruption that has bedevilled the region for decades now.

“Some of our new leaders have very little accountability. This may be because their positions of authority are taken for granted. 

“But leadership devoid of accountability is a certain recipe for abuse of power.”

Dr Lal, however, believes leadership is not confined only to those in national headship.

Leaders are needed in all walks of life and at all levels of society—from family, community, non-governmental organisations, in addition to government.

On this score, Professor Graham Hassall, director of the Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development and Governance at the University of the South Pacific, says it is wrong to lament a “deficit in leadership” in the Pacific without considering the multiple and intersecting nature of the process.

Leadership is equally important at provincial and local levels, in both rural and urban areas.

He argued that leadership is also exercised in the areas of health, education, economics, trade, foreign affairs and many other fields, and in both the private and social sectors.

Professor Hassall, however, is not sure whether the region is really in a “leadership deficit” or whether the perception is to do more with greater expectations and closer scrutiny of leaders through the media and civil society.

“It could be that leadership is as good (or bad) as it has ever been. But expectations of leaders are increasing,” argues Hassall.

“Communities are increasingly well-educated and well-informed, and are expecting more of their leaders and of their systems of government. 

“In most parts of the Pacific, leaders at independence were less experienced, less-well travelled, and less educated than leaders of today, and their performance in their constituencies, in parliament, and in government came under less scrutiny than the scrutiny experienced by leaders today.

“Thus, it could be the case that leaders in the past made mistakes, acted in self-interest and flaunted rules as much as they are doing now. But they “got away with it” because their actions were subjected to less scrutiny.

“This is an argument that the rise of the media and civil societies are bringing leaders to much more “account” for their actions and activities than what occurred in earlier times.”

The problem as Chand sees it could also be related to a political system that penalises honesty.

Examples from around the Pacific show that leaders will have to make compromises in order to retain positions of authority.

“Given the politics at home, it is difficult for someone honest to win office via electoral competition. 

“Knowing this, no one who is honest and decisive is ever attracted to positions of leadership. 

“Some honest leaders have been thrown into this position by virtue of birth, but they then spend all their time fighting a system that is self-serving. 

“I know of one Fijian high chief who is currently in this very position.

“I am repeatedly told that winning office in Papua New Guinea is close to impossible without distributing cargo. 

“This is true in much of the region. Winning office is an expensive and risky undertaking. 

“Those who lose often end up on the streets; sometimes thrown down from enjoying meals at the top restaurants in town to the ‘tavioka (cassava) and tuna’ meal at home, if not less.

“Thus, those with the appetite for risk and the will to use/abuse their positions for personal gain take on the challenges of winning political office. 

Good leaders a rarity: “We do occasionally get good leaders, but these are a rarity.

“Most of us (myself included) will never enter politics simply because we cannot afford the up-front costs and/or the post-election compromises that are often in wait! Will you be game enough to do this?”

That the current political system adopted by many islands of the Pacific could be a deterrent to good leaders was alluded to by Papua New Guinea’s cabinet minister, Dame Carol Kidu.

Interviewed as this magazine’s Pacific Person of the Year in 2007, Dame Kidu spoke of how the nasty tone of the campaign in that year’s general elections affected her emotionally.

“I just wanted to withdraw from the world and I had to re-psyche myself to come out and face it all again in the campaign because there were 10 candidates in the campaign and six of them run very proper campaigns. But three were extremely negative and very damaging.

“There were a lot of lies, a lot of money being used, blatant lies and very nasty elements to the campaign.”
Opposition leader of Papua New Guinea, Sir Mekere Morauta spoke about the “wear and tear” of his country’s governance system when he spoke at a symposium at Divine Word University in Madang last June.

“Fourteen years ago, soon after I was forced to resign as Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea, I was interviewed by SBS Television. 

“The journalist observed the view held by many that Papua New Guinea had a sound constitution, a good legal system, and a public service that worked well in the first decade of independence. 

“She asked did I think we could sustain the system, and what dangers I saw on the horizon?

“I said that I detected serious signs of wear and tear and the weakening of structures and processes of government. 

“Already a culture of political domination of all aspects of the state was developing, undermining the efficiency and profitability of state enterprises and on the functioning of important institutions of state whose independence formed a basic pillar of good governance. 

“I said I feared that if attention was not given to repairing the wear and tear, to strengthening weaknesses in the system and the machinery of government, corruption would have a fertile ground to flourish.  It would become systemic, and systematic.”

Morauta actually began his address with a quote: “I come from a country where corruption and patronage have become firmly entrenched and institutionalised. 

“Bribery, kickbacks, conflicts of interest, vote-buying, and rewards for personal loyalty have become the norm in many public institutions. 

“Senior civil service, military and police positions have become available for purchase. It is a system in which the “crooked” float to the top and the “clean” find themselves weighed down at the bottom. 

“Young people with ideals for contributing to the development of society very soon become disillusioned after entering government service. 

“They find it difficult to avoid taking sides in battles between various parties competing for power and influence, and to avoid getting sucked into the corruption process. 

“At the very least, they are pressured into turning a blind eye to the unethical practices going on around them.”

After reading the quote, Sir Morauta then asked: “Does this sound familiar? 

“The quote comes from a Thai politician speaking at the First World Ethics Forum held in Oxford in 2006. 

“But it could well have been me or any other Papua New Guinea participants describing our own country.”

As the man accredited for attacking corruption during his term as PNG prime minister, Morauta believes his country is in need of a new breed of leaders.

“Even with the best legal and administrative remedies, a regime of good governance will not be possible without good leaders, ethical leaders.

Good leaders: “We need leaders who are aware of their public responsibilities, their powers, their strengths and their vulnerabilities. 

“We need leaders who understand the value and importance of getting the best advice and of having a well-run, disciplined public service. 

“We need leaders who use the normal tools of democratic governance, not raw power, to get themselves out of hotspots. 

“We need leaders who understand and use democratic processes to shape events, not leaders who are pushed and pulled by circumstances and the people around them.”

The one-time governor of the Reserve Bank of Papua New Guinea believes the people assisted by the news media can help bring about the good in leaders.

“Every citizen, you and I, have a part to play in promoting ethical behaviour and fighting corruption. It should begin in our homes and at schools. 

“Our young people would be better served if leaders advocated introducing ethics and citizenship in school curriculum rather than corporal punishment.

“We have the constitutional right to speak out on any and all issues—let’s use it. 

“The media has a very important role to play. We need journalists who have the skills to get to the bottom of corruption and tenaciously keep the issues in the public domain. 

“In turn, the public needs to speak out in support of journalists and of media freedom.”

Dr Lal, who currently works as the sustainable development adviser for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, agrees with Morauta that the media and education can help bring about good leaders.

“I personally think we need a programme that targets schools—from primary to secondary to university—a programme that will draw out people who believe in the public good over personal gains; people who value the rule of law.

“We need to start talking about individual social responsibility.

“We need to start looking at the issue of leadership. We need to talk about great leaders of the past—see what made them great.

“Children need to be exposed to such peoples’ thinking, deeds, etc.

“It is most disappointing that days such as Ratu Sukuna Day, Ghandi’s Birthday, come and go without essay competitions, without school debates. 

“This used to be the norm in the past as I remember growing up with essay competitions and debates.

“There are no public debates on important topics. We have lost the plot I think. 

“Perhaps ISLANDS BUSINESS magazine may consider starting a column on individual social responsibility targeting schools—where we seek stories from different walks of life where good deeds are recognised, past and present leaders—focussing on what made them great.

“We could seek partnership with others to perhaps run school debates, essay competitions, etc.”

In addition to education, Dr Lal’s one-time colleague at the Australian National University Professor Chand proposes that incentives for good leadership ought to be strengthened.

“If we want good leaders, then we must face up to the realities of human nature. 

“The incentives for responsible leadership must be strengthened—otherwise, we will have a repeat of the same old tricks. 

“Those in positions of authority must be made a lot more accountable for their actions. This requires good and timely information, a live community, and an appetite for criticism and honest debate. 

“No one in any position of power should be beyond public scrutiny. 

“We must pay our leaders well to attract the best and punish deviant behaviour just as harshly to ensure that honesty prevails.”

On the magazine’s question on whether the Pacific’s political system is making clean leaders dirty, or whether it is stopping clean and good leaders from taking up leadership, Professor Chand believes both assertions are correct.

“Our political system is both attracting the worst amongst us and tainting even the honest ones when they end up in politics. 

“I know of an intelligent old (now ex) friend of mine who got corrupted by the politics in Fiji. 

“Another honest politician-friend of mine from PNG lost office only because he failed to return cargo to his electorate!

“Politics in the region has such a bad name now that one has to think twice before even associating with a politician.”