The future of Solomon Islands is.....

Guadalcanal Demands resurfaces
Below is a written copy of a letter written to the PM Sogavare regarding the above issue by Hon Nollen Leni.

The letter was written on 6th November, but it was stamped as received on 12th December 2006. .

Dated 6 Nov 2006

My dear Prime Minister,

I had an audience with (a former senior Guadalcanal militant and a former prisoner. MyBlog left out the name) and some former militants in my office last Friday.

They call in (without appointment) to make an oral warning. This warning is serious and this government must act quickly to get things under control.

Their submission All successive governments since Guadalcanal province first protest in 1988 have never acted on Guadalcanal Provinces Bona-Fide demands. The ethnic crisis of 2000 will seriously repeat itself very soon for the same reason of neglecting the demands.

The reasons
1) Guadalcanal bonafide demands are no secrets to this government
2) The Guadalcanal co-ordination committee which comprises of both provincial and national members of parliament had an audience with your goodself early this year and repeated the bonafide demand submission.
3) The new events take priority of government work program eg Moti saga, Australian standoff, riot commission
4) The continued delay of reconciliation work between Malaita and Guadalcanal communitiees 5) Continued re-juvenation of squatters around Honiara
6) Delay of state government issue

The warning
The way things appear now indicate that this government is going to shelf the bona fide demands. and so the warning is:

1) All Guadalcanal MPs must consider their loyalty for the bonfide demands
2) In view of what appears to be a continuation of being-no care attitude by this govt on the demands-Guadalcanal MPs will be forced by threats to pull out from the government
3) Deleted
4) Deleted
5) Deleted

Recommendations
I have been asked to call all Guadalcanal MPs to discuss this subject.

My prime minister while we have the best policies our lives and family are important when it comes to threats. I therefore will call all the 8 MPs to meet but having witnessed the actions of our men in 2000 we should never take things lightly.

Urgent recommendation
1)Return the titles of the Lungga Mamara Tasifarongo, Ruaniu to Guadalcanal province to ease tension. Why because the previous government did a big mistake by converting all the TOLs to fixed term estates.
2) Please direct the Minister and commissioner of lands to act now.

Signed
Hon Nollen Leni
Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources
CC: All Ministers

State Government
Today, the Peoples Alliance Party Parliamentary Wing Leader and Opposition Spokesperson for Provincial Government, Clement Kengava, has urged the government to speed up the process in finalising the State Government system.

Mr Kengava who may have caught wind of the letter earlier, calls on the national Government to listen to the voices and wishes of the People. He says the National Government’s long silence in informing the people of Solomon Islands on what is the progress made towards the adoption of State Government System could mean a lot of things.

The MP says as the Opposition spokesperson for Provincial Government and Constituency Affairs, he want to see that the new Federal Constitution be adopted by Parliament next year.

Exit Plan for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands - RAMSI
Mr Kengava the State Government system must be adopted before the Government put in place any exit plan for RAMSI.

He says all the Provinces are putting their hope on the new State Government system as the new political direction for a future peaceful and united Solomon Islands; after the ethnic tension experience. Kengava says the experience of the 2000 ethnic tension clearly revealed that Solomon Islands is still exposed to leaders who are prepared to dictate and control this nation because for political power and interests in the resources of Solomon Islands.

He says his concern is at present there is no guarantee that Solomon Islands would not be in the hands of a dictatorial Government, as seen in Africa and Asia if RAMSI departs during the life of the present Parliament.

The Opposition spokesman for Provincial Government therefore urges that the national government must speed up the implementation of the new Federal Constitution as a condition before RAMSI is pushed out of Solomon Islands. Failure to do this will see the unilateral declaration of state governments or even independence by some Provinces and the present government will be fully responsible for the fragmentation of an Independent Solomon Islands.

These words are coming from a veteran politician for both provincial and national government. Strong words indeed.

The Shane Castles Drama
Statements have came from various quarters defending the the work of Police Commissioner, Shane Castles.

Opposition leader Fred Fono was among those who was critical of the government action in declaring Mr Castles an "undesirable immigrant". He says government's actions may have come at a time when investigations Papua New Guinea are pointing towards those involved in the sanctioning of the secret flight that brought Julian Moti to Honiara in October this year.

Mr Fono says those investigations have indicated that the PNG Prime Minister , Sir Michael Somare was aware of the flight. Mr Fono says if this was the case, Foreign Minister Patteson Oti and Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare would have known about the flight. Mr Fono says declaring Mr Castles an undesirable immigrant is a means to prevent further investigations into the secret flight.

Meanwhile, a former Commerce, Employment and Trade, Walton Naezon, was also critical of government's action in it move against the Police Commissioner.

These are his words: "If the prohibition of entry order against the Commissioner of Police was based on circumstances surrounding Mr Castles questioning of the recent acquittal of Julian Moti by the Honiara Magistrates courts then I see the action as not justified. I could not believe that. Moti's case has not been given the opportunity to be trailed in court. And how the minister through his discretion and power justified this is improper."

Australia's Foreign Minister responses
Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says he’s disappointed by reports that the Solomon Islands Police Commissioner, Shane Castles, has been declared an undesirable immigrant.

Mr Castles was serving as Solomon Islands Police Commissioner through a bilateral arrangement between the Australian and Solomon Islands Governments. Mr Downer says he’s very disappointed by the reports which reached the Australian High Commission in Honiara second-hand. He says Mr Castles was provided to the Solomon Islands Government at its request to serve as Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Police Force for two years.

Mr Downer says the Solomon Islands Government provided no advance notice of its intention to declare Mr Castles an ’undesirable immigrant’ and he is seeking a full explanation owed to both Mr Castles and the Australian Government. The Australian High Commission is seeking further clarification and a full explanation from the Solomon Islands Department of Foreign Affairs.

Is this the signs of things to come?
MyBlog believes things may and do unfold in unexpected way. Unexpected to human thinking, but perfect to divine providence. What do you think?