BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
The Malaita provincial government is carrying out a survey on self-determination throughout the province.
Premier Daniel Suidani announced this during his recent visit to Malu’u substation in the northern region of Malaita province.
He said his government had passed, during one of its recent executive meetings, a pledge to carry out a self-determination survey for the province.
He said seeing that the covid-19 situation was easing; his executive gave the green light for the self-autonomy survey.
Suidani said they are looking forward to the survey being successfully completed by the end of June 2022 (next month).
He said MARA government is behind the survey and communities in the province and even abroad will be consulted in the survey.
Suidani said the issue of independence is not just an issue of his government, but a long time one that started during the times of Maasina Ruru.
He said since then the issue remains and according to findings successive provincial governments had also talked about it, but never put the matter into action.
Suidani said his government believes now is the right time to go and ask peoples’ views on the matter.
He said they saw that as a responsible government this is the right thing to do by bringing the issue to the people and allow them to have say on it.
Suidani said early this year a workshop was held to train participants to carry out the survey; however, it didn’t happen due to covid-19.
He said the pandemic had delayed the survey.
Suidani said the survey is to get people’s views and opinions not only on self-determination, but socioeconomic development and politics of the province.
He said the survey is also a road towards fulfilling the TPA signed by national government for Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces to look after their own affairs.
