MV Solomon in unchartered waters
Re-armament
The government's plan to re-arm some of its protection unit has been a hotly debated issue in the past few weeks.
Supporters and opponents of the plan have had their say, but the government has refused to surrender, although there is strong opposition to the scheme.
Assassination Plot
The charging of a 61-year old Australian for alleged murder attempt on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare may have come just at the right time, underlining the need for armed protection.
The man, Bill Johnson, an Australian citizen was remanded in custody following his brief court appearance yesterday. The court heard that Johnson, a retired war veteran married to a Solomon Islands woman had allegedly conspired with four Solomon Islanders to assassinate the Prime Minister between 18th and 23rd January 2007.
Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Australian Government has rejected as “preposterous” claims it may have been behind a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Bill Johnson, a war pensioner who has lived in the Solomons since 1992 was remanded in custody until 07 February when the court will hear a bail application.
MyBlog probes
MyBlog is sure Johnson had been caught by government informers of his plot to kill the PM. Whether those intelligence sniffing is credible is a matter for the court to decide.
Taiwan and re-armament
The visiting Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister, Katherine Siao-Yue Chang says her country will not be providing any arms for the Sogavare-government's re-armament program.
She told reports in Honiara today that Taiwan would not be arming or provide funding for the purchase of weapons for police officers in the Solomon Islands Police Forces’ Protection and Guarding Unit. The Vice Foreign Minister's statement adds more to the confusion regarding the issue. Recently, the Taiwan office in Canberra denied plans to provide arms training to protection units of the Solomon Island government. A few days later the government had said Taiwan would provide that training.
MyBlog questions
What's the truth in all these conflicting statements? Or is it all talks and everything is back to normal, and nothing comes out of it?
SICA joins in the debate
The Solomon Islands Christian Association, SICA, has eventually join the debate in expressing its opposition to the Sogavare government's decision to re-arm certain units of the Solomon Islands Police Force.
At its annual General meeting held last week it resolved that government had made the decision in a vacuum and does not have wide inputs from all sectors of society. SICA says the re-armament is too early as the memories of the social unrest is still ringing in the ears of many those who were affected.
SICA General Secretary Reverend Philemon Riti says it was not long ago, that the guns within the police armoury were used for violent conflict. He says SICA fears that the decision to re-arm could also be abuse by some as a license to make home-made guns or sneak in guns into the country.
The Moti Affair
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force inquiry into the secret escape of Australian lawyer Julian Moti into Solomon Islands remains incomplete.
Attempts by the Solomon Islands government's to blocked the inquiry team coming into the country to question government officials who may have been part of the saga seems to have succeeded. Despite this overseas reports says the Australian government is monitoring closely the inquiry.
The Post Courier newspaper reported that the Australian High Commissioner to PNG Chris Moraitis said his government was watching the proceedings of the Defence Force board of inquiry into Moti’s escape with interest, and look forward to the outcomes. He said the Australian government has always said it wanted a robust investigation into the affair and appropriate action to be taken against those persons found responsible.
Transparency Solomon Islands
Transparency Solomon Islands,TSI, has also joined other in criticising government's decision in blocking the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Commission of Inquiry into Julian Moti's secret flight in Solomon Islands.
It describes it as coward, dishonest and disrespectful to a friendly neighbour. Chief Executive of TSI Joses Tuhanuku says the inquiry is no longer an internal matter of PNG, because Moti and two other Solomon Islanders came on a secret PNG military aircraft and landed in Munda, Western Province in October last year.
Mr Tuhanuku says if the government is so obsess about sovereignty and sovereign decision, the way Moti entered Solomon Islands on a secret flight is an insult to the country's sovereignty. He suggests that the government either allow the Commission of Inquiry to come to Solomon Islands for further investigation into the matter or send Moti and the two Solomon Islanders that accompanied him to PNG to be questioned.
MyBlog comments
MyBlog hopes whatever Captain Sogavare and his government decide in this challenging time will benefit Solomon Islands now and in the future. Good luck to you MV Solomon Islands. You are heading into uncharted waters.
Provincial Governance
Central Province
Central Province's elections for Premier has been deferred to Friday.
Clerk to the Province's Assembly, Dennis Vili says the elections has been deferred because the Province's newly elected Speaker, John Bosamata is yet to take his oath. Mr Vili says the swearing-in is to be held tomorrow morning.
Nominations for the post of Premier will be re-opened tomorrow after the Speaker has been sworn in. Elections for the Premier has been rescheduled for 11 o'clock Friday morning this week.
MyBlog comments
The election of John Bosamata as Assembly Speaker indicates that supporters of the former Provincial Government are back in power.
While there have been calls by new members as others for a change of leadership, this seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. There were claims of political influences by the former Premier who is now Minister in the national government to ensure the former members remain in power. The MP denies the claims.
MyBlog believes there are other ways of bringing those in the previous provincial government government to account for the running of the government during their term of office.
Makira-Ulawa Province
The governance of the Makira-Ulawa Province remains unstable following the political saga in the past few weeks.
The sacking of six provincial assembly members by the Speaker and the imprisonment of the Premier had worsen the situation. The Speaker had said the members were sacked for being absence from their wards in excess of the time allowed. The Premier was jailed for offences of false pretence.
The six sacked member have indicated that they will seek legal re-dress on their termination. The jailed Premier had also indicated appealing his conviction.
Election of Provincial Assembly officials
The Provincial Government Minister, Japhet Waipora has announced dates for the elections of various officials of the Provincial Assembly.
Monday 5 February
Nomination of candidates for the post of Premier opens at 9am.
The election of a Deputy Speaker
Wednesday 7
Nomination of candidates for Premier closed at 4pm
Thursday 8
Election of Premier at 9am
Following the election of a Premier, the Assembly will sit to draw up the Provincial budget for the 2007/208 financial year.
Catch up with you in the next post.
The government's plan to re-arm some of its protection unit has been a hotly debated issue in the past few weeks.
Supporters and opponents of the plan have had their say, but the government has refused to surrender, although there is strong opposition to the scheme.
Assassination Plot
The charging of a 61-year old Australian for alleged murder attempt on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare may have come just at the right time, underlining the need for armed protection.
The man, Bill Johnson, an Australian citizen was remanded in custody following his brief court appearance yesterday. The court heard that Johnson, a retired war veteran married to a Solomon Islands woman had allegedly conspired with four Solomon Islanders to assassinate the Prime Minister between 18th and 23rd January 2007.
Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Australian Government has rejected as “preposterous” claims it may have been behind a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Bill Johnson, a war pensioner who has lived in the Solomons since 1992 was remanded in custody until 07 February when the court will hear a bail application.
MyBlog probes
MyBlog is sure Johnson had been caught by government informers of his plot to kill the PM. Whether those intelligence sniffing is credible is a matter for the court to decide.
Taiwan and re-armament
The visiting Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister, Katherine Siao-Yue Chang says her country will not be providing any arms for the Sogavare-government's re-armament program.
She told reports in Honiara today that Taiwan would not be arming or provide funding for the purchase of weapons for police officers in the Solomon Islands Police Forces’ Protection and Guarding Unit. The Vice Foreign Minister's statement adds more to the confusion regarding the issue. Recently, the Taiwan office in Canberra denied plans to provide arms training to protection units of the Solomon Island government. A few days later the government had said Taiwan would provide that training.
MyBlog questions
What's the truth in all these conflicting statements? Or is it all talks and everything is back to normal, and nothing comes out of it?
SICA joins in the debate
The Solomon Islands Christian Association, SICA, has eventually join the debate in expressing its opposition to the Sogavare government's decision to re-arm certain units of the Solomon Islands Police Force.
At its annual General meeting held last week it resolved that government had made the decision in a vacuum and does not have wide inputs from all sectors of society. SICA says the re-armament is too early as the memories of the social unrest is still ringing in the ears of many those who were affected.
SICA General Secretary Reverend Philemon Riti says it was not long ago, that the guns within the police armoury were used for violent conflict. He says SICA fears that the decision to re-arm could also be abuse by some as a license to make home-made guns or sneak in guns into the country.
The Moti Affair
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force inquiry into the secret escape of Australian lawyer Julian Moti into Solomon Islands remains incomplete.
Attempts by the Solomon Islands government's to blocked the inquiry team coming into the country to question government officials who may have been part of the saga seems to have succeeded. Despite this overseas reports says the Australian government is monitoring closely the inquiry.
The Post Courier newspaper reported that the Australian High Commissioner to PNG Chris Moraitis said his government was watching the proceedings of the Defence Force board of inquiry into Moti’s escape with interest, and look forward to the outcomes. He said the Australian government has always said it wanted a robust investigation into the affair and appropriate action to be taken against those persons found responsible.
Transparency Solomon Islands
Transparency Solomon Islands,TSI, has also joined other in criticising government's decision in blocking the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Commission of Inquiry into Julian Moti's secret flight in Solomon Islands.
It describes it as coward, dishonest and disrespectful to a friendly neighbour. Chief Executive of TSI Joses Tuhanuku says the inquiry is no longer an internal matter of PNG, because Moti and two other Solomon Islanders came on a secret PNG military aircraft and landed in Munda, Western Province in October last year.
Mr Tuhanuku says if the government is so obsess about sovereignty and sovereign decision, the way Moti entered Solomon Islands on a secret flight is an insult to the country's sovereignty. He suggests that the government either allow the Commission of Inquiry to come to Solomon Islands for further investigation into the matter or send Moti and the two Solomon Islanders that accompanied him to PNG to be questioned.
MyBlog comments
MyBlog hopes whatever Captain Sogavare and his government decide in this challenging time will benefit Solomon Islands now and in the future. Good luck to you MV Solomon Islands. You are heading into uncharted waters.
Provincial Governance
Central Province
Central Province's elections for Premier has been deferred to Friday.
Clerk to the Province's Assembly, Dennis Vili says the elections has been deferred because the Province's newly elected Speaker, John Bosamata is yet to take his oath. Mr Vili says the swearing-in is to be held tomorrow morning.
Nominations for the post of Premier will be re-opened tomorrow after the Speaker has been sworn in. Elections for the Premier has been rescheduled for 11 o'clock Friday morning this week.
MyBlog comments
The election of John Bosamata as Assembly Speaker indicates that supporters of the former Provincial Government are back in power.
While there have been calls by new members as others for a change of leadership, this seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. There were claims of political influences by the former Premier who is now Minister in the national government to ensure the former members remain in power. The MP denies the claims.
MyBlog believes there are other ways of bringing those in the previous provincial government government to account for the running of the government during their term of office.
Makira-Ulawa Province
The governance of the Makira-Ulawa Province remains unstable following the political saga in the past few weeks.
The sacking of six provincial assembly members by the Speaker and the imprisonment of the Premier had worsen the situation. The Speaker had said the members were sacked for being absence from their wards in excess of the time allowed. The Premier was jailed for offences of false pretence.
The six sacked member have indicated that they will seek legal re-dress on their termination. The jailed Premier had also indicated appealing his conviction.
Election of Provincial Assembly officials
The Provincial Government Minister, Japhet Waipora has announced dates for the elections of various officials of the Provincial Assembly.
Monday 5 February
Nomination of candidates for the post of Premier opens at 9am.
The election of a Deputy Speaker
Wednesday 7
Nomination of candidates for Premier closed at 4pm
Thursday 8
Election of Premier at 9am
Following the election of a Premier, the Assembly will sit to draw up the Provincial budget for the 2007/208 financial year.
Catch up with you in the next post.
posted by Myblog | 10:50 pm
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