Belden Namah | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office September 2019 – December 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick Pruaitch |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Pruaitch |
| In office August 2012 – December 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Carol Kidu |
| Succeeded by | Don Polye |
| In office 2011 – July 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Mekere Morauta |
| Succeeded by | Carol Kidu |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea | |
| In office 2011–2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Peter O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Sam Abal |
| Succeeded by | Leo Dion |
| Minister for Forestry | |
| In office 2007–2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Michael Somare |
| Member of theNational Parliament of Papua New Guinea | |
| Assumed office 2007 | |
| Constituency | Vanimo-Green River Open |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1969-12-30)30 December 1969 (age 55) |
| Nationality | Papua New Guinean |
| Political party | Papua New Guinea Party (2012–) |
| Other political affiliations | National Alliance Party(2007-2010) |
| Alma mater | Duntroon |
Belden Namah (born 30 December 1969) is aPapua New Guinean politician. Namah is a member of theNational Parliament for thePapua New Guinea Party, and has representedVanimo-Green River District since 2007. He served in theCabinet from 2007 to 2010, and as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2012. In 2012, Namah became a member of the opposition. After retaining his seat in the2022 election, he said that he would not rejoin the opposition.[1]
Namah is fromVanimo, near Papua New Guinea's border withIndonesia.[2] He joined the military, graduated from Australia's Royal Military College inDuntroon, and was trained for aspecial-forces unit (SFU). During theSandline affair, Namah was one of fivePNG Defence Force (PNGDF) officers who arrestedSandline International founderTim Spicer. Sandline had been hired by the PNG government to recapture thePanguna mine onBougainville Island and end aninsurrection there.[3] The SFU, under the direction of PNGDF commanderJerry Singirok, took the Sandline contractors hostage and announced the cancellation of their contract.[4] Namah and his fellow officers were convicted ofmutiny.[5][6][7][8][9]
In 2007, Namah enteredParliament as a member of theNational Alliance Party and became Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources in theMichael Somare-Puka Temu cabinet.[2] In 2010, he resigned from the cabinet and joinedMekere Morauta and the Papua New Guinea Party. Namah became part of the opposition leading to the overthrow of the Somare government, and was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Forestry and National Resources inPeter O'Neill's cabinet during the2011–2012 constitutional crisis. Retaining his seat in 2012, 2017 and 2022 elections, he lost his cabinet post after the2012 election and was opposition leader from 2012 to 2014.
After Namah was deposed asleader of the opposition in 2014, he tried to become governor ofSandaun Province (his home province). The post was vacant because the election ofAmkat Mai was nullified, and it could be filled by another MP in the province.[10] Namah became interim governor, mobilising support from local politicians which was challenged by the provincial administration, and withdrew from an April 2015 by-election for governor.[11] Amkat Mai's appeal against disqualification was successful and he was returned as Governor.[12] In April 2018, Namah was dismissed from office by the Leadership Tribunal.[2][failed verification] Namah was readmitted to Parliament in July 2018.[13]
Namah becamede facto leader of the opposition, where he led two initiatives to seize power. He challenged the succession ofPeter O'Neill byJames Marape in court (which he lost),[14] and led a campaign for a vote of no confidence to replace Marape withPatrick Pruaitch. This attempt also failed after the opposition split between Pruaitch andSam Basil. Basil's supporters returned to government with Pruaitch, but Namath remained in the opposition.[15] Namah again attempted to generate a vote of no confidenceand backed O'Neill as prime minister[failed verification].[16] In 2022, Namah announced he would leave the opposition and join the government. He was appointed in September 2022 as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Parliament Committee.[17]
In 2015, thePapua New Guinea Post-Courier reported that sixteen charges of misconduct had been brought against Namah by the Ombudsman Commission.[18] In May 2012, Namah stormed into theSupreme Court, accused Chief JusticeSalomo Injia ofsedition, and demanded his resignation.[19] The court had upheld a December 2011 ruling that the O'Neill-Namah government was illegal, and the incident was referred to the Ombudsman Commission as misconduct in office. Namah apologised soon afterwards to former Prime MinisterMichael Somare and Injia for his behaviour during the 2011-2012 parliamentary crisis.[20] After several delays, a Leadership Tribunal recommended Namah's removal from office.[21]
Namah was referred by the prosecutor to a Leadership Tribunal in October 2016, four-and-a-half years after the events took place, and was suspended from his post.[22] The tribunal reached a decision in April 2018, and recommended his dismissal from office.[23] Namah asked for a judicial review of his dismissal and called the ruling amiscarriage of justice; of several MPs involved in storming the Supreme Court, Namah was the only one prosecuted.[24] In September 2020, the Supreme Court dismissed an application for an injunction against a 16 July National Court ruling which favoured Namah.[25] Although Namah's challenge to the 2019 appointment of James Marape was rejected by the Supreme Court the following year,[26] he was again recognised asleader of the opposition.[27]
Namah said that Prime MinisterPeter O'Neill was disqualified from also being the acting Minister of Police.[28] O'Neill asked authorities to investigate how Namah obtainedK50 million in 2012 campaign spending.[29]
Namah was reportedly ejected from aSydney casino in because of misbehaviour, but was readmitted because he was a high roller.[30] Police requested an interview with him in June 2013 about the possible misappropriation ofA$4.6 million meant for a road project inWest Sepik, but Namah denied the allegation.[31]
When Namah became deputy prime minister in 2011, he said that any government he might lead would aim to provide free universal education and healthcare, and to "fix the law and order problem in this country". Prospective university students would serve two years in the military, and Papua New Guinean scientists working on climate change would be supported.[32]
During the run-up to the2022 election, Namah advocated privatising state enterprises. Saying that the PNG economy was import-driven, he wanted to make it an export-driven economy.[33]
Namah, aSeventh Day Adventist,[2] is married with children.[34]
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