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The Right Honourable Grand Chief
Sir Michael Somare
GCL GCMG CH CF SSI KStJ KSG
Somare in 2014
1st Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
In office 17 January – 4 April 2011
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Governor General
Michael Ogio
Preceded by
Sam Abal (acting)
Succeeded by
Julius Chan (acting)
In office 5 August 2002 – 13 December 2010
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Governors General
Silas Atopare
Bill Skate (acting)
Jeffrey Nape (acting)
Paulias Matane
Preceded by
Mekere Morauta
Succeeded by
Sam Abal (acting)
In office 2 August 1982 – 21 November 1985
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Governors General
Tore Lokoloko
Kingsford Dibela
Preceded by
Julius Chan
Succeeded by
Paias Wingti
In office 16 September 1975 – 11 March 1980
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Governors General
John Guise
Tore Lokoloko
Preceded by
Himself (as Chief Minister)
Succeeded by
Julius Chan
Personal details
Born
Michael Thomas Somare
9 April 1936 Rabaul, New Guinea, Australia
Died
26 February 2021(2021-02-26) (aged 84) Port Moresby, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
Citizenship
Australian (1936–1975)
Papua New Guinean (from 1975)
Nationality
Papua New Guinean
Political party
National Alliance (1997–2015)
Independent (1988–1994; 1995–1997)
Pangu (1967–1988; 1994–1995)
Spouse
Veronica Kaiap
(m. 1965)
Children
5, including Arthur
Sir Michael Thomas SomareGCL GCMG CH CF SSI KStJ KSG PC (9 April 1936 – 25 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician. Widely called the "father of the nation" (Tok Pisin: papa blo kantri), he was the first Prime Minister after independence. 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. 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. 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 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 was leader of the opposition from 1968 to 1972, from 1980 to 1982, and thereafter in that position from 1985 to 1988,[1] from 1992 to 1993, and finally from 2001 to 2002. 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. After the last election that he contended, he again became Governor of East Sepik (2012–2016). He was a founding member of the Pangu Party which led PNG into independence in 1975. 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. In 2017 he left politics and also the National Alliance Party.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4] This event triggered the 2011–12 Papua New Guinean constitutional crisis. 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.[5][6]
^"PAPUA NEW GUINEA (National Parliament)". 23 September 2023. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023.
^"Hon. Michael Somare, MP – Ninth Parliament of Papua New Guinea". www.parliament.gov.pg.
^"PNG's new prime minister: Peter O'Neill". East Asia Forum. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^"PNG Supreme Court rules O'Neill election illegal, orders Somare reinstatement". Radio New Zealand International. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
^"PNG's new prime minister: Peter O'Neill". East Asia Forum. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
^"Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O'Neill must resign, say former leaders". the Guardian. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
Sir Michael Thomas Somare GCL GCMG CH CF SSI KStJ KSG PC (9 April 1936 – 25 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician. Widely called the "father...
Somare is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Arthur Somare, Papua New Guinean politician MichaelSomare (1936–2021), Papua New Guinean...
between Peter O'Neill of the People's National Congress Party and Sir MichaelSomare of the National Alliance Party; the latter eventually supported O'Neill...
by MichaelSomare on 7 December 2010. He further became acting Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea on 13 December 2010, when Prime Minister Somare stepped...
ousted Prime Minister MichaelSomare, known as the "Grand Chief" and the "father of the nation", from Parliament. Nape ruled that Somare had missed three consecutive...
time, from 1982 to 1984, by this time beginning his long alliance with MichaelSomare, who was prime minister at that time and served as foreign minister...
spoken in the country. In 2006, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir MichaelSomare stated that "Papua New Guinea has 832 living languages (languages, not...
the country's first prime minister, MichaelSomare. He served as prime minister until 2 August 1982, when Somare regained the position. He succeeded Prime...
an active opposition leader during the successive governments of Sir MichaelSomare and Peter O'Neill, especially focusing on the politics of natural resources...
Veronica Somare (née Kaiap; born 1946), known as Lady Somare, is a former first lady of Papua New Guinea. Her husband, Sir MichaelSomare, was the country's...
Open seat, joining MichaelSomare's Pangu Party. He served as Minister for Civil Aviation from 1978 until the defeat of the first Somare government in 1980...
elections saw the formation of a ministry headed by Chief Minister MichaelSomare, who pledged to lead PNG to self-government and then to independence...
Congress Party (PNC) became a coalition partner in the government of MichaelSomare and Skate became Speaker of the National Parliament. He was appointed...
O'Neill appointed his Cabinet on 9 August 2017. With Prime Minister Sir MichaelSomare having been hospitalised for a serious heart condition, leadership of...
Dambui was appointed as East Sepik's first premier by Prime Minister MichaelSomare upon the creation of the provincial government in 1976. Dambui remained...
university's library is known as the MichaelSomare Library, named after the country's first Prime Minister Sir MichaelSomare. Multiple sources have included...
May 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2008. "The Father of Palestine". "Sir MichaelSomare, Papua New Guinea's 'Father of the Nation', dies aged 84". the Guardian...
d'affaires, opened the embassy MichaelSomare Gerald Ford January 9, 1976 January 23, 1976 Paulias Matane MichaelSomare Gerald Ford December 8, 1980 December...
"living national icons", along with politician MichaelSomare and philosopher Bernard Narokobi. Michael was born in Papua New Guinea. His mother Alice...
between Sir MichaelSomare and Peter O'Neill which had begun in December 2011 when the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ordered that Somare be reinstated...
Guinea became independent on 16 September 1975 with MichaelSomare as the first prime minister. Somare had previously been Chief Minister of Papua New Guinea...