BY BEN BILUA

TWENTY-seven members of Parliament have voted to remove Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare during yesterday’s no-confidence motion while 23 voted against.

Under standing orders of Parliament, the Speaker of Parliament went around the house to seek leaders’ votes on the motion.

Here are the result of the vote:

Voting for the motion: Hon Steve Abana, Heinz Horst Bodo Dettke, Douglas Ete, Alfred Ghiro, Sam Iduri, Martin Kealoe, Christopher Laore, Jimmy Lusibaea, Manasseh Maelanga, Samson Maneka, Jeremiah Manele, Derick Manuari, Elijah Doro Doromuala, David Day Pacha, Danny Phillip, Alex Qora, Snyder Rini, Connelly Sadakabatu, Charles Sigoto, Derick Sikua, Culwick Togamana, Peter Tom, Rick Hou, Namson Tran, Matthew Wale and David Tome.

Voting against the motion: Hon Peter Shanel, Ishmael Avui, Jackson Fiulaua, Moses Garu, Nestor Ghiro, Tautai Kaitu’u, Duddley Kopu, John Dean Kuku, Augustine Auga, John Maneniaru, Andrew Manepora’a, Samuel Manetoali, William Marau, Commins Mewa, Dickson Mua, Bartholomew Parapolo, Stanley Sofu, Manasseh Sogavare, Freda Tuki, Jimson Tanangada, Silas Tausinga, Milner Tozaka and Bradley Tovosia.

OUSTED Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has blasted his accusers yesterday, revealing the United Democratic Party (UDP) as behind the recent Skyline and Nasser investment controversy.

Skyline and Nazar are the epitome of DCCG’s failed investment policies and undertakings.

The Skyline group of companies had claimed to be a Chinese-based brand which was interested in expanding in the South Pacific, and had proposed rehabilitating the Honiara international airport and the road from the airport to Honiara city.

The now-deposed Democratic Coalition for Change Government (DCCG) had entered an MOU with Skyline over a proposed 5,000 affordable homes in Honiara in 2015.

Likewise, the Nazar group of companies had lured the DCCG into an MOU in 2015 with the promise of a new Kilu’ufi hospital, five star hotel, housing estate, poultry farming, feed production and value added poultry products, mini cannery in Tatamba and Tulagi and value-added fresh and dried fruit processing.

However, these two deals turned out to be a farce which has left an endless cycle of blame-game.

Caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, while replying to the Motion of No Confidence yesterday, put to rest public confusion when he said the two investors had been introduced to the DCCG by the highly paid political appointees of the UDP.

The deal, he said, had led to government spending money in the form of incentives.

Meanwhile, winding up the motion, Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Guadalcanal, Dr Derek Sikua, rebuffed Sogavare’s revelations, indicating that the three individuals, who he claims had brought in Skyline, were not UDP affiliated political appointees.

He furthers that Sogavare had benefited from the ‘deals’, listing – paid medical expense for his wife, allowance during the 2015 UNGA, and the renting of his house.

Sogavare interrupted Sikua with a ‘point of order’, preventing Sikua from continuing with his lists of alleged benefits belonging to Sogavare.

Speaking to Island Sun yesterday in parliament, a local political analyst stresses the importance of Sogavare’s revelations, saying, “It is not news, for it has been echoing in the corridors of the government offices. However, the significant thing is hearing a public declaration from the horse’s mouth that the UDP was behind these failed investments.”

The analyst adds it is an interesting turn of events to note that UDP, which held the majority of MPs in the DCCG then, had a hand in the Nazar-Skyline mess.

BY BEN BILUA

THE caretaker prime minister says he walks out from the government and as the Prime Minister of the country a proud man.

Speaking during the no-confidence motion in Parliament, the now caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare told parliament that he walks out with his head up because he has done nothing wrong against the government and people Solomon Islands.

“My only mistake is to stand up against corrupt leaders and the vote will continue to entertain corruption.

“I’ve been down this road before with these very men and interestingly these leaders never changed.

“The leaders are the same opportunist who would not have a second thought, jumping on opportunities without caution of their integrity on the line visioning gaining power as the ultimate outcome,” he said.

Sogavare stressed that the reasons that led to the motion are bordered on deliberate lies and misinformation to assassinate the character of the Prime Minister.

He said the motive behind the motion is quite clear and that is for political gain.

“I find it very difficult the reason given by the Leader of Independent, it’s nothing to do with national interest judging by the points he listed.

“We are disappointed that reasons tendered by the opposition are not convincing to support a motion like this.

“Some of the reason are the same reason submitted for the motion in 2007 camouflaged with personal grazes, pretence of good governance and power hunger.”

He said most issues raised by the Leader of Independent are collectively failures of all national leaders and not the Prime Minister’s alone.

Sogavare told parliament that there is nothing wrong with the notion of appointing an aspiring Prime Minister but the manner, timing and other circumstances surrounding the motion questioned the integrity of leaders who are pursuing agenda.

He said he is disappointed that some leaders have allowed themselves to be used as easy prey by the leadership of the group that left the government.

Sogavare strongly emphasised that decision made and reasons in the cost of the motion fall short of the Parliament understanding to vote for the motion.