Fiji has lost a true friend with the passing away of Sir Michael Somare - Gavoka

SODELPA Leader Viliame Gavoka says Fiji has lost a true friend with the passing away of Papua New Guinea’s former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

Gavoka says Sir Michael’s death is not only a loss to PNG but also for Fiji and the entire region.

He says Sir Michael was an exemplary and a true son of the Pacific who dominated not only Papua New Guinea’s politics but the Pacific region as well.

He adds under his extraordinary guidance and leadership, PNG achieved independence and an enviable degree of stability in what became the defining hallmarks of his administration.

Gavoka says even their late former Leader and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase had great respect and reverence for Sir Michael and considered him as one of the elders of the region.

The SODELPA Leader says this sentiment was also shared by the late former Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, their former leader Sitiveni Rabuka and Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.

Sir Michael Somare passed away at the age of 84 in Port Moresby yesterday after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and was admitted in hospital a week ago.

As Chief Minister of the former Australian territory, Sir Michael helped usher PNG to independence in 1975, becoming its first prime minister later that year.

The "Grand Chief", as Sir Michael is known, served as prime minister in four separate stints lasting 17 years in total.

Before politics, he worked as a teacher, journalist and broadcaster, and was one of a pioneering generation of young Papua New Guineans training for positions as senior public servants in the 1960s.