City Sivarai

GOVERNOR PARKOP PAYS TRIBUTE TO DR SIR JULIUS CHAN, A GREAT LEADER & DEAR FRIEND

February 01, 2025

It’s with great sadness that I heard today (yesterday) of the passing of one of the founding fathers of our nation, Right Honourable Sir Julius Chan, Governor of New Ireland and former Prime Minister.

It’s a sad day for PNG, for New Ireland, for his family and relatives and equally sad for some of us leaders of our country who have come to know him and developed good relationships with him at both official and personal level. For the last 17 years since I was elected to Parliament, I have shared this journey with Sir Julius Chan until his passing today. Initially in Opposition and then to Government and then he left to be in Parliamentary Opposition last year.

Over the years I have learnt to respect and appreciate Sir Julius as a leader and as a person. It was an absolute privilege and honour to be his guest for his 80th birthday celebration in his village of Huris in 2019. In my medical emergency at end of 2022 he was undergoing medical treatment in Brisbane, Australia but took time off to come and visit me in my recovery bed in Goldcoast, Australia.

He was a great leader of our people and our nation. During his time he had the courage and conviction to make monumental decisions that defined our country, our nation and our people including having our own currency, Kina and Toea, overseeing the Kumul Force to be deployed in Vanuatu to protect the integrity of that country, building the Poreporena Freeway and the current domestic and international terminal in Port Moresby. Even controversial decisions like the engaging of Sandline mercenaries and floating of the Kina in hindsight are defining moments in our history however one looks at it.

When he moved the first vote of No-Confidence to remove Sir Michael Somare as Prime Minister for the first time, it was also a defining moment for both leaders and for PNG. It could make or break our country but true to their stature and character these two pioneers leaders of our country managed the process to ensure PNG interest and well being was paramount. Sir Julius displayed the same qualities in 1997 when he stepped down as Prime Minister following Sandline crisis and Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare did likewise when he resolved the impasse in 2011 by accepting the decision of Parliament to have electd Hon Peter O'Neill to be Prime Minister despite the ruling of the Supreme Court.

I salute and pay tribute to Sir Julius Chan for his life and service to our nation and people. I extend my heartfelt and deepest condolences and sympathies to his family, the people of New Ireland and to Members of his Party, the People’s Progress Party.

Farewell my dear friend whom I fondly know as Dr Dr Sir Julius Chan. You are not only a knight of the realm but you also had two honorary doctorates to your name. All well deserving. What a life!!What a great inspiration!

Hon. Powes Parkop, LLB, LLM, MP

NCD Governor