BY EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands is still grappling with a lot of unattended issues since the signing of the Townsville Peace Agreement (TPA) in Australia, 15th October 2000.
The TPA was signed by two former warring parties, Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movement, Malaita Provincial Government and Guadalcanal Provincial Government to end the conflict.
The conflict came about after disgruntled youths of Guadalcanal picked up arms and chased out settlers on their land for failure of past governments to address their grievances dated back to 1988 in relation to land and centralised developments.
In responding to Member of Parliament for West Are’Are John Maneniaru, on what the government is going to do to address these issues to avoid future uprisings, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said his government will discuss the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.
Sogavare said the report takes us back to history of this country, focuses on how the country collapsed in year 2000 and issues placed before the government which our people felt it was not addressed.
He said for example the spirit of all TPA, if zero down, it says please focus attention outside of Honiara.
“It’s a strongly worded demands in lands and developments.
“Leaders in Guadalcanal stand here in Parliament and continued to make their calls, move some of the major developments outside of Honiara,” he added.
Sogavare said it is a right call and they look at all these issues.
However, he said they lose sight on some of these things that sitting down in all the ministries.
Further to that, Sogavare said some policies are in contrary to demands and expressed thinking of our people in TAP.
As such, he the government need more strategic approach.
“I am calling for Master Plan for Malaita and look at others.,” he said.
Further to that, Sogavare said it’s time to review long term Development strategy.
He said that strategy led to how we satisfy Sustainable Development Goals.
“We need to look at that in the context of what happen in this country that this strategy doesn’t pick it up.
“A summit needs to be called to identify these challenges,” he added.
Parliament resumes on 5th December 2022.
