Mover lands in Auki under tight security

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

DESPITE the tense situation in Auki and appeals for deferment, a no-confidence vote scheduled against Premier Daniel Suidani tomorrow will proceed.

“There has not been any change to the date,” Assembly clerk Mathew Maefai told Island Sun yesterday.

“The vote will go on tomorrow,” he added.

Students of schools within the township last week staged a protest calling for the deferment of the motion to avoid causing disturbances as they prepare for the national exams.

Mover of the motion, Elijah Asilaua, and other non-executive members arrived in Auki from Honiara yesterday under heavy security escort.

Asilau’s no-confidence speech was leaked on social media yesterday.

As he prepares to face his fate, Suidani called an executive meeting yesterday to discuss the appeal from the students.

A decision is expected to be announced today.

Meanwhile, Senior Administration Officer for Southern Region, David Mane told Island Sun in Afio on Saturday, they viewed the no-confidence motion as politically motivated and engineered in the interest of outsiders and not Malaitans.

Mane said the motion is a move not only to topple MARA government, but to destroy its development aspiration for the people of Malaita.

He said since MARA government came into power, people started to see changes on the ground and development partners started to arrive in the province.

Mane said this is what people want and not just business as usual as experienced in the province for the past decades.

He said Malaitans want a government that people feel the test of their leadership on the ground, and that’s what MARA government did to the people in the southern region of the province.

Mane said southern region has a total of seven MPAs, four in West and East Are Are constituencies and three in Small Malaita constituency.

He said only three MPAs – wards 19, 21 and 24 are on the government side and MPAs for wards 20, 22, 23 and 25 are behind the motion.

Mane said these MPAs represent themselves and not the people of the southern region.

He said the people in the southern region join the rest of the province behind MARA government and knew nothing of this motion since it is not in their interests and wishes.

CLEAR indications of a national security implication are brewing if the Premier of Malaita province, Daniel Suidani loses the planned motion of no confidence tomorrow.

This was evident following the rousing supports by thousands of people gifted to him upon his arrival in Auki on 11^th October 2021 after being away for almost five months overseas.

Premier Suidani travelled to Australia around [in?] May to seek medical treatment on his brain and [was] later transferred to Taiwan for further treatment.

He returned home healthy after doctors in Taiwan treated his brain with medication.

Upon arrival, the non-Executive members filed a motion of no confidence against Premier Suidani despite knowing the strong support for his leadership from his executive.

There are 33 members in the Malaita Provincial Government and the non-executive needs 17 members to allow the motion to go through in toppling Premier Suidani.

The Premier has attracted much support from Malaitans following his government’s stand for democracy against the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) support for his opposition to diplomatic recognition of PRC over Taiwan, despite facing strong resistance from the Central Government.

The fall out between Malaita and Central Government started during the diplomatic switch from Taiwan to PRC in 2019.

A lawyer, former political adviser and critic of the National Government, Andrew Muaki told Island Sun through Facebook from Brisbane, Australia claimed the situation in Auki is tense at the moment.

Muaki said this tension will either come to an end peacefully during the Motion of No Confidence or manifest into a law and order issue.

He said the possibility of the latter event to occur cannot be ruled out given the mass support premier Suidani has amongst his fellow people.

Suidani’s support comes from most Malaitans in the province and Honiara who believe in his stand against PRC and National Government.

Furthermore, Muaki said the reaction of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and the government in Honiara will determine how far this tension will go or what direction the tension will take.

“This leads me to the national security issue.

“The people of Malaita Province may feel they have no option but to seek greater autonomy,” he said.

Muaki said the tension between Auki and Honiara may give Auki the platform to do so.

“As I said the reactions from Honiara will determine how far this will go.

“Again, the possibility of any law and order situation in Auki cannot be ruled out,” he said.

“Just to be clear I don’t think there will be loss of properties.

“It will be more of groups against each other along political affiliations to the various central figures both at the provincial and national level,” he said.

A member of Malaita Province Youth Council, Philip Subu told Island Sun from Auki that there is high risk of a riot.

Subu said it is not a new thing because the Ma’asina Ruru movement has done it in the past and part of Malaita character now.

According to scholars, Maasina Ruru is a movement for self-government and self-determination in the British Solomon Islands during and after World War 11, 1945-1950, credited with creating the movement towards independence for the Solomon Islands.

He said most Malaitans want Premier Suidani because it is connected to their beliefs and values on how he lead and stand for democracy against PRC.

In addition, Subu said the people have seen the allegations made against Suidani in the motion of no confidence as excuses.

MPA forward 11, Elijah Asilaua of the Non-Executive has filed the motion of no confidence notice against the Premier which contains 11 allegations.

Asilaua accused Premier Suidani of making decisions without consulting the executive.

He also stated Premier Suidani’s style of leadership is dividing the people of Malaita and this is affecting the function of the executive and its ability to deliver much needed services to the people.

Asilau also accused Premier Suidani of entertaining the Malaita for Democracy (M4D), a pressure group operating within Auki.

He said they believed the National Government and Peoples Republic of China are the main culprits are to blame?

Subu said during the motion it will attract many people from the nearby villages to congregate in Auki township and could be a risk for disaster.

[this is better as a direct quote so we know what words he actually uses and is accountable for them – disaster is a strong word but not specific]

A woman leader who wished to remain unknown because of the sensitivity of the issue said she do not want to see any tension or riot if the Premier loses the motion.

She said all the Members of Provincial Assembly should address the issue on a round table to avoid cause any problem.

“I think the leaders should go back to their people and talk to them.

“The leaders should listen to their people to avoid further problem during the motion of no confidence,” she said.

Malaita Province Assistant Commissioner (AC) Provincial Joseph Manelugu said the police has started preparing for the situation in a situation the Premier loses the motion of no confidence.

Manelugu said they are doing forward planning to prepare for the situation.

“We are currently doing awareness with people in Auki, however majority of people comes from the villages.

“Compare to the number of people that welcome the Premier, we will be outnumbered,” he said.

Manelugu said if anything goes wrong on the day, they are putting operation plan to request reinforcements from Honiara.

As part of the build up towards the vote, supporters and students have displayed banners on Social media calling for to postpone the motion of no confidence.

Some students of schools around Auki help [?] a banner saying ‘Exam first, postpone motion’.

Island Sun contacted the Asilau but he is unwilling to get [give?] an interview.

Premier Suidani told Island Sun [when?] his team is planning to boycott the motion of no confidence because the Speaker did not discuss the date with him.

“I am currently filing a motion against the Speaker because his office is not neutral.

“The Speaker should work with the Provincial Government and not [be] influence by the National Government,” he said.

Suidani said his government want to debate the motion during the Assembly meeting on 8^th November that will coincide with the budget meeting.

However, Speaker Ronnie Butala said the legality of the motion of no confidence can only be explained by the Attorney General.

“I cannot comment on the legality of the issue,” he said.

Butala said the focus now should be on the motion of no confidence this week.

He said normally during the meeting, the first agenda is the motion of no confidence.

“If the motion does not pass, then the meeting will take few days to rest and come back to pass the Supplementary budget.

“If the motion goes through, then nomination for the Premier is open for two days and allows the new government to form as well,” he said.

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

Landowners of Afio, Small Malaita, have clarified their issue published earlier this week as not being political in nature.

This is in response to public perception that their issue, published by Island Sun on Wednesday this week, was an attempt to tarnish Premier Daniel Suidani’s leadership amid Malaita province’s political turmoil.

Speaking to Island Sun yesterday, Peter Iroka, deputy chairman of TOLOA Trustboard and primary landowner of Afio land, said on the contrary they support Premier Suidani and what he is doing for Malaita province.

Iroka explains, despite the timing of their media article, they had brought this issue to the media in light of Suidani’s announcement of a planned trip to South Malaita.

 Suidani had uttered this when addressing public upon his return to Auki Monday last week.

“The timing is unfortunate that we raise our issue in the media when Malaita provincial government is facing political turmoil with the non-executives.

“But, to be clear, we brought our issue to the media in response to Premier Suidani’s announcement that he would be visiting Afio soon for awareness,” Iroka says.

Iroka pointed out this would be Premier Suidani’s first-ever visit to Afio since coming into power, and would be an opportune time to meet him face to face and discuss their outstanding issue of Afio’s land title.

He adds that getting the premier’s attention has been difficult, leaving them with the media option.

“From our engagement with Premier Suidani through the media, the incumbent now knows what we the landowners of Afio will be anticipating as the main agenda should he come and meet with us.

“Regarding the politics of Malaita province, we the landowners of Afio fully support and back Premier Suidani. In fact, we wish that the MPA for ward 23 joins Premier Suidani and MARA government. And, we look forward to hearing what Premier Suidani has to say in his awareness tour to us in South Malaita.

“But that is another matter. Our concern which was published on Wednesday this week regarding our desire to have the perpetual estate land title over Afio land, is totally different from politics. Some members of public might think that we trying to tarnish Premier Suidani due to the timing of our article’s publication, but no.

“Let me make it clear now that we the landowners of Afio land support Premier Suidani. We urge our MPA of ward 23 to join MARA government.

“Our issue is we want Premier Suidani to give us the PE title, and in his planned trip to Afio, we will want to discuss this with him,” Iroka stressed.

On Wednesday this week, Island Sun published this issue in the article titled ‘LOs threaten to boycott Suidani’s trip to Afio’. In it, Iroka, on behalf of Talahanea Original Land and Resource Owners Association (TOLOA) called on Premier Suidani to hand over the PE land title over Afio land, which the province has possession of, back to the landowners.

Premier Suidani, in response, had welcomed the landowners’ concerns, explaining that any handover of the title now will not be possible.

Suidani explains that as a responsible premier, he is not sure and is yet to fully understand this issue, therefore, cannot sign off on any land title transfer document.

He told Island Sun that this issue of Afio land title is “something that is for us to discuss together and move forward with” with the landowners.

“When the Afio landowners approached me with land transfer documents to sign, I refused simply because I had no idea or understanding of that matter.

“Though I am premier, I cannot just issue or hand over properties left and right without knowledge of the Malaita provincial assembly, or the matter being well understood by all stakeholders, which includes MARA government, the people and landowners, and the provincial administration.”

Premier Suidani is planning to travel to South Malaita to hold an awareness tour there.

No date has been announced for this trip yet.

Suidani could not be reached for comments yesterday.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

PREMIER of Malaita province and his team are expecting a chiefly welcome ceremony during their visit to the Afio substation in the southern region of Malaita province.

Suidani and team will visit Afio from the 23^rd-24^th this month and would be his first official appointment to the southern region since taking up office.

Secretary to the Organizing committee for the premier’s visit to Afio, Richard Hou told this paper from Afio yesterday.

He said preparations for the visit is well underway and work on cleaning-up the substation has commenced in the past weeks and will continue today.   

Hou said government workers, business houses, chiefs, schools, churches and everyone in the area are prepared for the event and looking forward to welcoming and hosting the premier.

“The visit will be historical to us, not only people in Afio but the whole of the southern region including representatives from community chiefs who will attend to the visit.

“This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, to have a premier at our midst and learn from him on some of the plans his government has for the southern region of the province,” he said.

Hou said the committee will be showing the premier and team some of the run-down government infrastructure services at the substation as they hope the way forward will be discussed.

He said some of them are Afio wharf, Maka police station, Maka market facility, Afio health centre and even a visit will to the MPG owned Rokera Provincial Secondary School.

Hou said invitations were made to community leaders within the southern region and transport will provide to pick and return them as they will be part of the visit.

He said the MP for Small Malaita, Hon Rick Hou will represent his other two colleague MPs from the southern region, Hon Peter Kenilorea Jnr and Hon John Maneniaru during the event.