Gov’t given 28 days to respond to petition
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
Malaita Province has given the national government 28 days to respond to its Log of claims.
Premier Daniel Suidani officially handed over the document to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), Stanley Pirione, during celebrations held in Auki to mark the province’s 39th Second Appointed Day.
The claims contain 15 points.
Suidani said the document is a culmination of dialogues held between the two governments since last year.
“For instance, on November 30, 2021, Malaita province made a public call for dialogue on fundamental issues,” Suidani said.
“Then on December 22, 2021, a three-man delegation from the national government held a meeting with some members of the executive on issues Malaita proposed in its call for a dialogue on fundamental issues,” he added.
“From the December meeting it was agreed that MPG will prepare its log of claims and submit them to the national government.”
Suidani said the provincial government took the initiative and came up with the log of claims document on critical issues to the good governance, peace and stability of the country and for the progress of Malaita province.
Pirione accepted the document and thanked the province for taking issues of their people’s concern to national government in a cordial and professional manner.
He assured Suidani that he and his colleague PS Peter Mae of the Ministry of Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs, will take the claim and present it to the national government for discussions to seek a way forward on the issues raised in the claim.
Mae also thanked the government and people of Malaita for the log of claims, which he says will chart a way forward for working together between Malaita and the national government.
He said one of the reasons he was in Auki to attended the province’s Second Appointed Day is to witness the presentation of the log of claims and guide it to the national government.
Mae and Pirione reiterated their pledge to bring the log of claims to the national government and responsible authorities for dialogue.
