A two weeks mourning period has been announced by the Prime Minister James Marape starting Friday 26th February to Friday 12th March, to pay respect to the founding father of Papua New Guinea, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.
The PM also says Cabinet has designated Monday the 1st of March to be a Public holiday for the nation to start remembering the late Grand Chief.
The 12th of March 2021 has been designated by the Cabinet as another day of public holiday.
“Hopefully if the national organizing community led by myself and the Prime Minister’s Department and the National Events Council and if we liaise with the East Sepik provincial government and the East Sepik Provincial Assembly as well as the family, hopefully we designate 12th of Mach 2021 another public holiday and we hope that on that date we will out the grand chief to a rest he truly deserved.”
“Cabinet has made approval for the dates in which Sir Michael passed on (26th February) to be a national day of remembrance for our country and that day has been designated and we will get all protocols get ticked off to ensure this day becomes significant day in our calendar.”
‘We’ve also set up a body of leaders to be associated in these series of events that will take place. Sir Michael’s life death is no ordinary death, his greater than life personality, greater than myself and others who will come after me and so he deserves full effort by the leadership and all instrumentality of government to ensure his final moments on the surface with us is given due respect be he is finally rested.”
The PM also extended his thank you to the whole nation for respecting the passing of the late Grand Chief.
“I thank the nation so far, early this morning when he passed on, since then the nation has been in total respect.”
“There has been no disruption and from all indication I have received from all over the country, we come in mourning in peace and serenity in accepting the passing of the father of our nation.”