BY ALICE T CAMPBELL

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) announced that relief works are underway this week at Kohi, Northwest Guadalcanal, to restore a multi-cell culvert system following the severe weather events of late January this year.

In a statement yesterday, MID said its Transport Infrastructure Management Services Division has engaged a local contractor to carry out gabion reinstatement activities to stabilise the riverbank and protect the bridges’ approach road.

MID said heavy rainfall during January’s peak wet season led to the collapse of the Kohi (Tanaeba) approach road and its associated cell culverts.

Hence, for durability to withstand future river torrents, the contractor is utilising gabion baskets which the ministry said acts as a flexible, heavy-duty barrier and can allow water to flow through them, reducing the build-up of hydrostatic pressure during floods.

MID said the priority is to make sure that the cell culverts are fully protected as the watercourse cuts towards Kohi Bridge, and that this asset remains safe and accessible for road users of Northwest and West Guadalcanal.

“These ongoing rollouts of minor works are part of the government’s response to ensure the safety and resilience of infrastructure critical to the Guadalcanal Provinces’ development and disaster response mechanism,” said MID.

The statement said the ministry will continue to strengthen its collaboration with the Guadalcanal Provincial Disaster Operations Committee (P-DOC) to ensure that relief works are undertaken to ensure connectivity when disaster strikes and to design climate-resilient road infrastructures.

Photo credit: MID

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-New coalition with majority MPs holds PM Manele to account with mass resignation of all chairpersons of the 9 parliamentary standing select committees

-New coalition reiterates call on PM Manele to resign or call parliament

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

The new coalition which commands support from the majority of parliament has handed Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele an ultimatum to resign or call parliament to debate the motion of no-confidence next week.

All the chairpersons (who are in the new coalition) of nine parliamentary standing select committees resigned last night, leaving Parliament crippled in its duties including legislative ones.

This is an unprecedented circumstance for Solomon Islands, in which during a parliamentary term the standing select committees are vacant due to mass resignation of their chairpersons and members.

Parliament operates with 10 standing select committees. However, one was left vacant after its chairman, MP Alfred Tuasulia was sworn in as a government minister on Wednesday this week.

A government minister cannot serve as a member or chairperson of a standing select committee.

Making the announcement last night to media, the nine former chairpersons led by MP for Central Honiara Gordon Darcy Lilo said the decision is their response to the current government ruling with a minority.

“In the situation where the Prime Minister no longer commands the majority support of parliament, which is an important principle in our constitution … as chairpersons of these important select committees of parliament, we have decided that we cannot take any instruction from a minority government for the purposes of processing businesses that goes into parliament,” MP Darcy Lilo said.

“Therefore we have decided to resign from our positions as chairpersons of these select committees, and as of today we have all decided to resign from those positions. Also we have served as members of the various select committees, and that also goes with our membership of these select committees.

“Message to the government that we as chairpersons of the select committees have resigned from our positions including as members of those select committees until such time that the Prime Minister himself resigns because he does not command the support or he calls parliament to put to test that situation once the motion matures on Monday next week.”

This mass resignation creates a procedural vacuum that would effectively paralyse the legislative and financial functions of Parliament.

Immediate effects on Parliament include: frozen legislation since the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) will not review bills before they are introduced to the House; financial shutdown risk since the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cannot scrutinise the Budget for its passage; and loss of oversight because the committees are the primary tool for holding government (the Executive) accountable.

Government will also be affected.

“Any business or instruction from government cannot happen. For instance, Bills, it has to go through the Bills and Legislation Committee. In this situation right now it cannot. Supplementary, or appropriation bill, any forms of appropriation, requires Public Accounts Committee to examine in detail before it goes to parliament, and that will not happen right now,” Darcy Lilo said.

“Why is that? Government is on a minority. It is incumbent upon us as members of the select committees to ensure that whatever business comes from government has that legitimacy. How do you determine that? The principle in the constitution says government must have majority in order to rule.”

Peter Kenilorea Jnr, MP for East Are’are, said it was necessary to take this action although it may be deemed as a ‘drastic’ measure for the sake of Solomon Islands’ democracy.

“We are all leaders who represent our people. We are … a government in waiting. This situation about rule by minority is such an affront to a democracy like Solomon Islands. And, each ticking minute is an insult, attack to democracy. That is why we are taking these measures that some might see as drastic, but for us it suits the situation where we are in, in the sense that we can not take instructions from a minority government. We’re definitely questioning their legitimacy when we’re doing this.”

For stability, Rick Hou, MP for Small Malaita urged PM Manele to ‘do the right thing and call parliament’.

“At this time, government does not have any business, the only business it has before parliament is the motion of no-confidence that will mature on Monday next week. It is incumbent on the Prime Minister to make sure to stabilise [the situation] to call parliament so that this number issue is affirmed on the floor, suppose he does not want to resign. That is the only right thing to do in these circumstances,” Mr Hou said.

John Maneniaru, MP for West Are’are, said that the decision was made by the coalition, and not by the former chairpersons themselves.

Meanwhile, the notice for the motion of no confidence is before parliament and will mature on Monday, March 23. The motion can be debated any day starting from the day after – Tuesday, March 24.

The Prime Minister holds the power to call for parliament.

PM Manele has not released any statement on whether he will call for parliament when the motion matures for debate or not.

However, in a press conference on February 2 this year, he voiced his intention to call parliament in the ‘later part of the second quarter of this year’, either May or June.

The former chairpersons and their former committees are as follow:

Gordon Darcy Lilo – former chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

John Maneniaru – former chair of  Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC)

Peter Kenilorea Jnr – Foreign Relations Committee (FRC)

Lazarus Alfred Rina (MP for East Central Guadalcanal) – former chair of Public Expenditure Committee (PEC)         

Rick Houenipwela – Parliamentary House Committee (PHC)

David Gina (MP for South New Georgia Rendova and Tetepari) – former chair of Constitution Review Committee (CRC)      

Dean Kuku (MP for North West New Georgia) – former chair of  Education & Human Resources Training Committee

George Temahua (West New Georgia and Vona Vona) – former chair of Environmental & Conservation Committee

James Bonunga (MP for Temotu Pele) – former chair of Police, National Security & Correctional Services Committee

Health & Medical Services Committee – VACANT [Alfred Tuasulia]

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BY TONY IROGA

Solomon Islands National Sports Council (NSC), through its Makira-Ulawa Provincial Office, successfully delivered a second fitness training session for officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) on Monday, 16 March at the Kirakira RSIPF Recreation Area.

The programme aims to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to support appropriate Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) health assessments when possible.

According to Sports Facilitator and Recreation Development Officer for NSC in Makira Province, Edward Quiroquiro, the session engaged 12 officers, including 11 first-time participants and one returning officer.

 “The training focused on conducting the RSIPF Fitness Baseline Data Test for new participants, which included the 20-metre beep test, 60-second sit-up test, and 60-second push-up test to assess endurance, strength, and overall fitness levels,” he said.

In addition to the assessments, officers completed a full training program comprising warm-up exercises, aerobic conditioning, strength and endurance drills, agility work and a structured cool-down.

“This will enable the officers to train on their own or in groups in continuing to improve their fitness levels,” he said.

He said the overall observations from the session noted strong participation and discipline, with the returning officer showing noticeable improvement and female officers meeting expected performance levels.

“The fitness training forms part of the ongoing ‘Fitness Blo Iumi Program’, that aims to strengthen physical readiness within the RSIPF,” he said.

Supervising Operation Manager for RSIPF in Makira, George Fafale said that they were grateful to the NSC for this program, which empowers their officers to improve their health while strengthening their operational readiness.

Following the initial training, participating officers recommended further support from RSIPF headquarters, such as sporting equipment and establishing a dedicated fitness gym in Kirakira.

Photo: Supplied

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BY BEN BILUA

STAFF and students of Visena Community High School in Isabel Province have resorted to manual labour in a desperate attempt to improve road access to their school.

The school community was seen yesterday digging and repairing sections of the road using sticks and filling potholes with gravel, in an effort to allow vehicles to reach the school.

School Chaplain, Terence Modi, said the lack of a proper road connecting the school to Haevo—the main port where school supplies are delivered—has been a long-standing issue.

He said the road network to Visena has been in a very poor state for years without any support from the government.

Modi said all school cargo is usually dropped off at Haevo and transported to the school by boat due to the poor condition of the road.

“Our cargoes are always dropped off at Haevo and currently we use boats to transport materials to the school.

“When the weather is bad, we have no other choice but to carry all the materials from Haevo to the school,” he said.

Modi also raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of students, particularly in medical emergencies, saying the lack of road access poses serious risks.

“The situation is critical when students fall sick and need urgent medical attention,” he said.

Modi said the school has made several requests to responsible authorities for assistance but no positive response has been received.

He said the school community is in urgent need of a proper road to ensure safe and reliable transportation of supplies and access to essential services.

Visena is one the Community High Schools in Isabel Province that is situated within the Maringe/Kokota constituency.

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BY ALICE CAMPBELL

British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, HE Paul Turner, met the UN Resident Coordinator, Dirk Wagener, this week discussed issues relating to Solomon Islands and the wider region.

In the meeting, Turner reaffirmed the UK’s firm commitment to the UN and multilateral system, saying current global crises underlined the pressing need for more concerted international effort working with a strong UN.

In terms of recent political events in Honiara, Turner said that whatever political changes occurred, the UK would continue to prioritise the strengthening of the Solomon Islands Parliament as this was the bedrock of any democratic society. 

The High Commissioner and the UN Resident Coordinator agreed that their joint programmes in strengthening the institutions overseeing elections in Solomons was also crucial. 

The UK recently provided US $200,000 to UNDP to support a range of activities in preparation for the next General Election. 

This included working with several civil society organisations to assess electoral outreach programmes to remote communities across the provinces.

The UK and UNDP are also working together on supporting the Solomon Islands Government rejoin the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which will help bring greater transparency and oversight of the mining sector.

Photo: Supplied

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