Papua New Guinea's Governor-General has criticised the country's leaders, saying ineffective leadership has crippled the country.
While opening a conference, Sir Paulias Matane said PNG will not change and prosper if better leadership is not forthcoming.
The newspaper, the National, reports him as saying the country has suffered from corruption and crime.
Sir Paulias says good people surely outnumber bad, but they have allowed criminals, corrupt officials and unworthy political and business leaders to run the country down.
The outspoken vice-regal, whose terms expires next year, says many organisations in PNG too often promote weak and incompetent people into positions of power and control.