By Loretta B Manele
The state government system is ideal for Solomon Islands given the cultural diversity it embodies.
Dr Paul Popora Bosawai, minister for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) stressed on this during his contribution to the debate on the Constitution Amendment of the Constituent Assembly Sitting Bill 2024 on Tues, 17th Dec in parliament.
He said looking into the draft, he realized that the state government is ideal for distinctive cultures.
Bosawai pointed out that Solomon Islands is a country that has diverse cultures hence the federal system will enhance local governance and community engagement.
“When we look at our country, our cultural diversity is one factor to consider and so, the federal system can accommodate our cultural diversities and geographical challenges and of course the historical contexts we have”
Bosawai said ultimately, the best government system we would like to involve is a balance of centralized coordination and local autonomy.
He added that it should be a hybrid model that might incorporate both the unitary and the federal system noting that they must also consider the benefits of having a state government.
Bosawai said one benefit of a state government is the local autonomy which can have the power to tailor laws and policies that fit our local needs and preferences and allow for a greater response to the diverse population we have.
“It also allows checks and balances”
He emphasized that one important thing is enhanced participation in which the federal state government will allow our citizens to engage with our local government and as stated in the draft this is the community government.
Bosawai expressed that another benefit of the system is fostering the participation of political, civic and education aspects.
He mentioned that what they see is that the federal system allows cultural representation in which different states can reflect cultural, social and economic differences of the population leading to more representation of the governance we need.
On another note, the health minister said we have been trying the unitary system since 1978 of which he explains is a system about centralizing power and decision making from the national government.
Bosawai said the state government system on the other hand, is a system with regional autonomy which can subsequently empower our local governments in the provinces.
He stressed that to determine which system is better, it depends on various factors which includes specific contexts of the country in terms of its size, diversity and historical background.
“So, the policies we will implement under federal law, it must factor these important aspects”
Bosawai said the federal system is more beneficial in large or diverse countries.
He explained that our country, is diverse where regional differences are significant as they allow for local governments to address thus, the federal system could be beneficial.
Bosawai furthered that the unitary system we have now is homogeneous which caters to countries that don’t have diverse cultures.
