Sogavare and Auga rank top
By EDDIE OSIFELO
PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare and MP for Lau Mbaelelea constituency Augustine Auga rank top in the level of Constituency Performances per Constituency Development Funds output for 2014-2018.
PM Sogavare with 7,000-plus population in his constituency ranked first with 64 percent while Auga with population of 32,000 in his constituency ranked second with 63 percent.
Among the top four are MP for Hograno Kia Havulei Jeremiah Manele and MP for East Malaita Manasseh Maelanga.
Manele ranked third with 61 percent while Maelanga ranked fourth with 60 percent.
The ranking was made after the Ministry of Rural Development officers visited the 50 constituencies and collected data through their assessment on how the parliamentarians used the CDF on projects in the last four years.
Republic of China (Taiwan) had funded the CDF to the 50 MPs to help them address the rural social and economic developments in their constituencies.
However, there were a lot of public outcry on how MPs used the CDF which led to former MPs losing their seats in the recent election.
Even donors and civil society groups viewed the CDF as a political slush fund that can be detrimental to development.
But research by Colin Wiltshire and James Batley in 2018 found that in Solomon Islands, CDFs now make up around one-third of the development budget, or between 10 and 15 percent of total budget outlays.
In the last four years, all 50 constituencies, disregarding their size and population have received $6 million per year across the board.
As such in the four years term of Parliament, each MP received $24 million.
In the report received by Island Sun, Rennell and Bellona with around 2000 people was doing good after it settled at 5th place with 59 percent output.
However, the ranking did not reflect well on the other two small constituencies in the country namely Malaita Outer Island and Temotu Vatud.
Malaita Outer Island with a population of more than 1000 people came 15th in the ranking with 45 percent output.
Temotu Vatud led by Freda Tuki, with 800 people settled at 20th position with an output of 37 percent.
Member of Parliament for Lau Mbaelelea, Augustine Auga has welcomed the outcome of the ranking by MRD.
Auga said the ranking speaks for itself as a result of what he did in the last four years in his constituency.
“I have used the CDF well to help my people through upgrading of road and other social and economic projects,” he said.
He said this was the reason why he won by landslide with 4728 votes in the recent April 3 National General Elections.
Overall Ranking of the Level of Constituency Performances per CDF Programme Output 2014-2018
| NO | CONSTITUENCY | PERFORMANCES OF OUTPUT | RANKING |
| 1 | East Choiseul | 64% | 1 |
| 2 | Lau Mbaelelea | 63% | 2 |
| 3 | Hograno Kia Havulei | 61% | 3 |
| 4 | East Malaita | 60% | 4 |
| 5 | Rennel Bellona | 59% | 5 |
| 6 | Maringe Kokota | 57% | 6 |
| 7 | East Kwaio | 55% | 7 |
| 8 | North Malaita | 54% | 8 |
| 9 | Ugi Ulawa | 53% | 9 |
| 10 | Auki Langalanga | 52% | 10 |
| 11 | South Malaita | 51% | 11 |
| 12 | East Areare | 50% | 12 |
| 13 | West Guadalcanal | 48% | 13 |
| 14 | West Areare | 47% | 14 |
| 15 | East Guadalcanal | 45% | 15 |
| 16 | Malaita Outer Island | 45% | 15 |
| 17 | North West Guadalcanal | 44% | 16 |
| 18 | West Makira | 44% | 16 |
| 19 | Central Honiara | 41% | 17 |
| 20 | Gao Bugotu | 41% | 17 |
| 21 | South Choiseul | 41% | 17 |
| 22 | Baegu Asifola | 41% | 17 |
| 23 | Shortlands | 40% | 18 |
| 24 | South Guadalcanal | 40% | 18 |
| 25 | East Makira | 38% | 19 |
| 26 | Rannogga Simbo | 37% | 20 |
| 27 | Temotu Vatud | 37% | 20 |
| 28 | Fataleka | 35% | 21 |
| 29 | North New Georgia | 35% | 21 |
| 30 | North West Choiseul | 35% | 21 |
| 31 | South East Guadalcanal | 32% | 22 |
| 32 | Marovo | 30% | 23 |
| 33 | Central Kwara’ae | 28% | 24 |
| 34 | Savo Russels | 28% | 24 |
| 35 | West Kwaio | 28% | 24 |
| 36 | Gizo Kolobangara | 26% | 25 |
| 37 | South New Georgia Rendiva Tetepari | 25% | 26 |
| 38 | North Vella La Vella | 24% | 27 |
| 39 | Central Guadalcanal | 23% | 28 |
| 40 | East Central Guadalcanal | 22% | 29 |
| 41 | Temotu Nenede | 22% | 29 |
| 42 | Temotu Pele | 22% | 29 |
| 43 | West New Georgia – Vonna Vonna | 22% | 29 |
| 44 | South Vella La Vella | 21% | 30 |
| 45 | West Honiara | 20% | 31 |
| 46 | West Kwara’ae | 20% | 31 |
| 47 | Central Makira | 17% | 32 |
| 48 | Ngella | 17% | 32 |
| 49 | East Honiara | 14% | 33 |
| 50 | North Guadalcanal | 10% | 34 |
