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Hou slams DCC

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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MP for Small Malaita Hon. Rick Hou is being nominated to run for PM onbehalf of the DCC Group

A day before election PM candidate bites back on partner, ‘DCCG was never stable’

BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA

MEMBER of Parliament for Small Malaita Hon Rick Hou has dumped the Democratic Coalition for Change Government (DCCG) in the shadows, saying it has never been focused and has always been unstable.

Hou made the statement in an exclusive interview with Island Sun yesterday.

He bluntly declared that ever since the DCCG came into power, it has always been unstable and was never fixedly focused.

Hou is the Heritage Park Hotel’s candidate for the Prime Minister post for the PM’s election which will be held tomorrow in a secret ballot.

Hou told the paper that the intention of his party’s shift to the caretaker Government was clear from the very beginning.

“We were never offered money and our intentions and objectives as a group were very clear,” Hou said.

This was because there already existed unstable mechanisms from within the then Government itself which then eventuated in the resignation of the group of Members of Parliament (MPs) that joined the Opposition.

Hou however strongly commended the DCCG for having good policies and a very good budget.

“But then again, the budget is only as good as it is implemented,” Hou added.

Hou told Island Sun that it is only in the best interest for his party, the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) and the nation as a whole to have a stable Government.

This, he added, was why his group always made sure they provided sharp watchdog roles as the then Official Opposition Group.

He then added that the caretaker Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Sogavare has always been focused and adamant to have policies implemented, but the country’s cash flow issue and pendulum forces within the DCCG were its only setback.

Hou then told the paper that should he be elected the next Prime Minister, they will carry about focuses from the predecessor Government and make sure the country’s cash flow is all well, work collaboratively for the best and interest of the nation.

Caretaker PM accepts apology of former DCCG MPs

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

THE Caretaker Prime Minister (CPM) Hon. Manasseh Sogavare MP has acknowledged and thanked former DCCG MPs, for coming to his residence to reconcile their differences that were presented during the MNC, in both a Christian and Cultural manner by apologising for their actions and confessing their mistake to resign from the government and support the MNC that removed him as PM to cause political instability.

In a low key reconciliation ceremony, 15 of the MPs each spoke in turn to personally express their regrets with some acknowledging that they have learned from their mistake.

The Caretaker PM humbly accepted their apologies and thanked each of them for coming forward as National Leaders to reconcile their differences with him at a personal and cultural level.

“Anyone can make mistakes, but being able to recognize, admit and learn from ones mistakes is an essential leadership quality that demonstrates humility and integrity” said the CPM.

The CPM stated that he appreciates the courage and commitment of his former Ministers and Backbenchers, to put aside politics and seek genuine reconciliation at a personal level based on Christian and cultural values.

The CPM further stated that this ceremony is only between the 15 MPs and himself and does not impact on any political agenda.

The reconciliation was marked with cultural exchanges and ended with a word of prayer.

–PMO PRESS RELEASE

Soaki family utterly dissatisfied with High Court verdict on Dad’s killing

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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THE immediate and extended family members of the late Sir Fredrick Soaki were shocked and disappointed with the High Court verdict on the death of their late father and relative.

A statement issued by the family on Sunday 12th November said the family has been waiting for 14 long years for justice on the assassination of their late father who was gunned down at Auki motel in Malaita province on 10 February 2003.

Former Police Officer, Edmond Sae stood trial in the High Court of Solomon Islands for the killing of the late Sir Frederick but was acquitted of the murder charge on Wednesday last week.

The High Court however, convicted Sae of manslaughter for another death two months later in 2003, sentencing him to twenty years in prison.

“We were shocked, and utterly dissatisfied with the outcome of the High Court verdict,” the Family said in the statement.

The wife of the late Sir Frederick, Mrs Ethel Maesiufia Soaki broke down with tears after the court ruling outside of High Court last week.

As the family is struggling to come to terms with the verdict, they are considering seeking legal counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to appeal the High Court decision, appropriately, through the judicial process.

“Through God’s conviction, justice will be served on the person responsible for the death of our dear father in due course,” Mrs Soaki said.

The late Sir Frederick was the former Police Commissioner of Solomon Islands.

He was in Auki on a UNDP Demobilisation Program for Special Constables as a member of the National Peace Council when he was shot at point blank.

The question now for the Solomon Islands Police, the Soaki family and the country as a whole is: who killed Sir Frederick?

New political twist?

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0
Sogavare-vs-Fugui

–Former DCCG MPs reconcile with Sogavare

 

By Alfred Sasako

 

AS the election-day for a new Prime Minister edges closer, a new twist has emerged, throwing an already confused situation into further tailspin.

Amidst reports of MPs moving from one camp to another, United Democratic Party (UDP) MPs from the government and Opposition sides yesterday held a reconciliation, attended by caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Opposition candidate for the job, Hon Dr John Moffat Fugui.

The lunchtime ceremony was held at Mr Sogavare’s residence at Lungga, according to reports relayed to Island Sun last night.

Reports on how many MPs attended vary.

One report suggests that all 14 UDP Parliamentarians attended, including Mr Sogavare and Mr Fugui. Another report said only four UDP Parliamentarians attended the reconciliation which has raised eyebrows as to what it meant for the new Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) – DCC Government marriage whose prenuptial agreement is still being hammered out.

Some said the reconciliation signalled the regrouping of the UDP not necessarily as a Party but a new alliance in preparation for the 2019 national general election.

UDP has gone through factional in-fighting in recent months, which resulted in the no confidence motion in Mr Sogavare’s leadership last Monday. The Opposition won the vote 27-23.

No one could be reached last night to explain the overall political ramifications of the reconciliation in terms of the election of a new Prime Minister next Wednesday 15th November.

The Government side has downplayed the significance of the reconciliation, saying the new DCC-DAP alliance remains intact in terms of numbers.

“Our number remains at 30. There are talks of at least another four from the other camp joining us,” an insider said.

Senior officials are already at work preparing policy initiatives that would guide the DAP-DCC administration after Wednesday’s vote.

But the Opposition camp said things remained “upbeat” and are looking forward to the vote later this week. As the number stands, the government side has 30 while the Opposition has 20.

With hundreds of thousands of dollars allegedly on offer, the number’s game could change drastically as lobbying intensifies over the next 48 hours.

Parliament is due to meet at 09:30am on Wednesday to elect a new Prime Minister following the ouster of Mr Sogavare on Monday 6th November 2017. The government side has nominated Small Malaita MP Ricky Hou as its candidate for the top job.

The Opposition which camps at the Honiara Hotel has put up Honiara Central MP, Hon Dr John Moffat Fugui as its choice for the $186, 000-a-year job.

Observers said the situation remains volatile and the reconciliation could very well determine the outcome of next Wednesday’s vote.

A call for more x-ray equipment at area health centres

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR Editor,
Dr Gregory Jilini, the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, last Wednesday when celebrating the World Radiography Day at the National Referral Hospital (NRH), made a statement in which he recommended the government through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services provide more basic diagnostic support, including x-ray equipment and posting more doctors to areas health centres to generate more referrals.
 During the NRH ceremony Dr Jilini said two Australian High Commission projects in radiography were being implemented include provisions of x-ray scan services, adding that the need for such services was clear.
Dr Jilini also said one of the reasons why patients currently bypass clinics and go straight to the provincial hospitals and the NRH is the lack of diagnostic capability.
 
I thank the Australian High Commission for the help in improving rural diagnostic services by providing x-ray equipment.
A personal appeal I launched last week for donations to help the MOHMS and medical services throughout the country has, so far, not attracted any funds.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

Youth@work aids 22 young would-be entrepreneurs

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, this week in Honiara, 22 young entrepreneurs from Borderline, Green Valley and Burnscreek received their materials to start their new small-scale businesses enterprise in their communities.

Youth @Work organisation handed the youth’s materials to help them start their own businesses ranging from bicycle repairing, tailoring, furniture making, top-up agents to BBQ and food outlets and farming.

One of the youths, Greg Olitai, a young man who lives at Green said, “I am grateful that the Youth@Work programme has helped me in terms of providing business training, tools and some spare parts that will help me in improving the work that I am doing and make my business grow successfully and become sustainable.”

The 22 young people are wished success with their budding business ventures and Youth@Work thanked for the support given to the group.

Youth@Work is an initiative to tackle youth unemployment in Solomon Islands and to help youth of the Solomon’s find pathways to employment and entrepreneurship

Youth@Work is facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in partnership and supported by funding from the Queens Young Leaders Programme (UK), the Australian Government Aid Programme, the Pacific Leadership Programme and Plan International. Implementation is done in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of National Unity, Peace and Reconciliation, the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs.

 

Yours sincerely

 

FRANK SHORT

Is Andrew Radcliffe a lawyer or a mourner?

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, your competitor on Thursday November 9, 2017 carried a letter in the Letter’s to the Editor’s column titled, “Sasako and his trumpet”.

I have always thought that Andrew Radclyffe is a lawyer until I read it.

Now I know he is just a mourner, human like all of us.

On the matter of Kelvyn Alp, I stand by him and what he did.

He like many, many other investors and potential investors was stopped at every turn by officials and others who wanted to milk him dry.

You would be foolish to continue.

That’s a fact people like the learned Radclyffe is too proud to acknowledge because of greed.

Kelvyn gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to sporting organisations, charitable causes individuals and the cost of alluvial mining activities at Sutakama.

He got nothing back.

I have yet to hear about Radclyffe parting with anything except cheap shots.

 

S Alfred Sasako

West Honiara

Solomon Islands MP’s allegedly failing the nation

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, Solomon Islands ousted Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, revealed this week during a Motion of No Confidence moved against him in Parliament that the 50 Members of Parliament (MPs) together received more than half a billion dollars a year.

Mr Sogavare said that huge amount of money if used wisely should have benefitted the entire nation.

He explained that the $350million received by the 50 MPs each year under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) plus the shipping grant and other funding pushed the amount to more than half a billion.

Mr Sogavare went on to say that the MPs had set a bad precedence by purchasing assets with money funded under certain projects and cited cases were shipping grants had been used to buy land and houses, vehicles and private machines for logging

In a report tabled recently by Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) which evaluated the impact of CDF funds in the constituencies for previous years, the investigative survey showed very poor results on the use of CDF allocated money.

The CDF funds are given annually to the Solomon Islands Government by Taiwan with ‘no strings attached’ and a failure in the necessity of auditing has seemingly led to the alleged misuse of CDF money cited by Mr Sogavare.

It might be argued that a similar lack of proper accountability over the allocation of shipping grants to MPs has also contributed to the alleged misuse of such grants.

It is my personal view that the ROC Government should put its money into direct aid in creating opportunities throughout the Solomon Islands by establishing and supporting local businesses that would provide employment and incomes for the rural communities.

By contrast the Chinese are doing just that in increasing the PRC’s reach across the smaller Pacific Island states and, while the Solomon Islands Government has most recently demonstrated its support for Taiwan, the reported and constant allegations of the misuse of the money given to MPs by the ROC government should ring alarm bells in Taipei.

It might be that the message has begun to sink in because the proposal to create a manufacturing outlet in Honiara next year that will provide jobs and generate income I take to be a pragmatic move and one with tangible outcomes for the benefit of better relations with Taiwan, as perhaps will be perceived by the communities in the Solomon Islands that are yet to see what has come from the CDF money over many years.

If the Solomon Islands Government does eventually succeed in creating the long talked of free economic zones then Taiwan might add to its international stature by investing money and technology into such zones, as is successfully being done by Taiwan in Thailand and in India.

I have personal knowledge, too, how Taiwan is aiding the Swaziland Government in better ways than so far evident with cash handouts to MPs in the Solomon Islands.

The alleged misuse of the CDF money and the shipping grants prima facie smacks of corruption and the statement by Derek Futaiasi this week who told the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Vienna the Solomon Islands Government will create a ICAC and the commission would have authority and jurisdiction to investigate and refer for prosecution all corruption cases is welcome news.

Mr Futaiasi said the UN was being requested to share costs with the government for some of the activities in the Solomon’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

 

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

RSIPF thank public for patience

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has commended public for their patience while the country’s national politicians continue to resolve the current political situation following the motion of no-confidence early this week.

“There has been no major incident to disturb the normal law and order and peace in this country and we are thankful to the public for their patience. But we must not take the situation lightly,” says Commissioner of Police, Matthew Varley.

Police continues to monitor the situation closely with a major operation underway in Honiara including visibility patrols in and around the city as well as static security duties at the two hotels that the national politicians are accommodated in.

“Police will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour, any illegal activity or any threats of violence that would impact on the safety of our citizens or the safety of our politicians and derail the political process underway to elect a new prime minister.

“This is good prudent policing operations for the security of this country and our hope is that the process will take place without any disturbance.

“Police will continue to visit various communities in the city, meet with the community leaders and MPs to explain to them the importance of members of their communities and constituencies maintaining law and order and remaining calm during this time.”

With the election of a new Prime Minister scheduled for Wednesday next week, Police will be mounting another visibility operation leading up to that time and around Parliament on the day.

“We want to encourage members of the public both in Honiara and throughout the provinces to go about their normal business as usual and to allow our national politicians to resolve the situation,” says Commissioner Varley.

Police appeal to anyone who have information on anybody who might be planning to disturb the peace to contact their nearest police station or call the police emergency toll free number 999.

–POLICE MEDIA

No finding from mystery vessels search

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

SURVEILLANCE over Temotu seas for reported unknown vessels has come up empty.

In response to MFMR and FFA request, a French aircraft from the French Navy based in Noumea, New Caledonia, conducted a reconnaissance flight over sea areas in Temotu on Wednesday this week but could not locate vessels of interest in the area.

Acting on reports of sightings at night by people living in communities on Vanikoro, Nupani and Duff islands of vessels coming close to the shore and isolated reefs, the Ministry of Fisheries (MFMR) headquarters in Honiara requested the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) for assistance.

The French Guardian aircraft from the French Navy was requested to carry out surveillance mission over Temotu Province.

However, the surveillance flight which originated from Henderson International airport could not locate the vessels of interest in the area.

A fisheries compliance officer, Ms Lindsay Keliara who accompanied the French crew said the three-hour surveillance flight covered sea areas of interest but there was no sighting.

She said it may have been that the blue boats which the islanders in Temotu have sighted may have gone away from the country’s territorial waters as the reports came in late.

“It’s been eight days already and it is highly likely the vessels may have gone already,” she said.

Despite failing to locate the vessels, Ms Lindsay said the surveillance flight is an eye opener for her as a compliance officer at the Ministry of Fisheries.

“This is an example of how we can all work together to curb Illegal Unreported Unregulated activities within our waters,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Fisheries Mr Ferral Lasi said effective coordination between the provinces and the Ministry of Fisheries is a great challenge but ‘we will pursue this as we go forward to ensure sighted vessels are apprehended’.

–MFMR PRESS

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