SOLOMON IS: Parliament Amends Ramsi Act
Updated
The Solomon Islands parliament yesterday passed a government motion reviewing the legislation that set up Ramsi, the Regional Assistance Mission. The motion tabled by Prime Minister Sogavare, gave the members of parliament the opportunity to debate the Ramsi facililation at as required by the act itself. Observers believe the motion is part of government moves to amend the Ramsi facilitation act in November.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare
SEKE: The Ramsi facilitation act was legislated in 2003 to enable member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum to intervene in Solomon Islands.
The country was then sinking further into anarchy and economic collapse following years of ethnic conflict.
In moving the motion however, Mr Sogavare highlighted areas he regarded as discrepancies in the implementation of the act.
They include the practice of contracting private Australian companies, Ramsi soldiers being armed in public and the issue of immunity from prosecution for Ramsi personnel.
Here's Mr Sogavare speaking partly in Solomon Islands pidgin in parliament.
SOGAVARE: It's now four years, ... members of parliament maybe there's a better way. A better way? Should we continue with the existing arrangement? If you go through clause by clause the international facilitation act ... Mr Speaker, you would pick up a lot of issues that are ... yumi really need to look seriously at the ... As it stands at the moment Mr Speaker and basically .... the laws and over the procedures, systems that are in place. Is that a thing that you should continue with it given the fact that the environment hemi changed? ... soldiers running around the streets of Honiara holding guns. The environment is ... supporting that ... You see peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, come, come, suddenly you see soldiers holding guns. What kind of impression now ... to the people outside when they see pictures of people, soldiers holding guns.
SEKE: Prime Minister Sogavare also emphasised that RAMSI is a partnership and that the views of all the stakeholders must be taken into consideration. He says Solomon Islands is an important stakeholder in this partnership because it directly affects people in the country.
SOGAVARE: It's about strengthening a partnership so that because it is a partnership we need to get the views of all the partners. The feelings of all the partners, and we consider ourselves Mr Speaker, Solomon Islands, as the important partner, important stakeholder when it comes to the issue of RAMSI, because it affects our lives every day. It affects the way we think about development, it affects the way we think about the future of this country.
