SOLOMON IS: Opposition wants dialogue on Ramsi.
Updated
The Solomon Islands opposition leader, Fred Fono, says the Prime Minister and the Ramsi Special Coordinator should talk to each other about difficult issues instead of going to the media. He says exchanging views through the media would only give the wrong signal to those groups with an interest in Ramsi, including Pacific Island governments. Mr Fono made the call following a series of strong exchanges between senior Ramsi officials, Prime Minister Sogavare and his Attorney General, Julian Moti.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Solomon Islands opposition leader, Fred Fono; PNG's High Commissioner to Fiji and Permanent Representative to the Pacific Islands Forum, Peter Eafeare
SEKE: The latest exchanges in the media started with the cancellation of last week's tripartite consultative meeting between senior Forum country officials, senior RAMSI officials and the Solomon Islands government.
The Forum and RAMSI officials were told at the last minute that the government has cancelled the meeting because they were not prepared.
After unsuccessfully trying to have an audience with Prime Minister Sogavare, RAMSI Special Coordinator Tim George late last week called a news conference and attacked what he saw were discrepancies surrounding the review of the RAMSI Facilitation Act.
Among other things, Mr George said there was a lack of transparency in the review of the act - which he said was based on a flawed document compiled by Attorney General, Julian Moti.
Mr George said that as partners, the Pacific Islands Forum countries have a strong and direct interest in any development relating to RAMSI.
But early this week, Prime Minister Sogavare and Julian Moti issued media statements attacking Tim George and his assistant, Fijian Mataiasi Lomaloma.
Mr Sogavare said his government will not be deterred by the criticisms by RAMSI officials of the review of the RAMSI Facilitation Act.
He said the review of the act was approved by parliament and will be carried out soon.
Mr Sogavare said neither RAMSI nor the Pacific Islands Forum can usurp the constitutional role and prerogative of the Solomon Islands parliamentarians.
But Opposition leader Fred Fono is not happy about these media exchanges.
FONO: There should be no room for such media statements or exchanges from the prime minister's office and the RAMSI coordinator. There should be just face-to-face dialogue on these issues, because they are important issues, by going to the media and expressing different views would give a wrong signal to all stakeholders, including regional governments that supported RAMSI to come into the country. So I think it is important that both parties come together and iron out their differences or look at sticking issues that they have differences on and reach a common ground.
SEKE: Do you think it is important that regional countries, like you say, partners in RAMSI should be consulted and if not engaged in any moves to amend the RAMSI Act?
FONO: I think that yesterday when at the forum and the forum has established a consultative committee to talk to the government on the review. Therefore I see no point in making those exchanges of statements. And in as far as the review of that certain cross in facilitation act, it is only right that parliament undertake that review to qualify under that prohibition that particular section of the Facilitation Act.
SEKE: But it's now unlikely Forum member governments will be consulted before the upcoming Forum leaders summit in Tonga.
And Chairman of the aborted consultative meeting in Honiara, PNG's High Commissioner to Fiji, Peter Eafeare, said last week that the Forum delegates were disappointed about the cancellation.
EAFEARE: We were quite disappointed, because we have been preparing to hold this meeting and we didn't realise that the Solomon Islands Government needed more time. Specifically we were going to discuss at this third enhanced consultative mechanism meeting issues of concern for the Solomon Islands Government in its partnership with RAMSI, and then the draft medium term strategy and the facilitation of International Assistance Act.
We expected probably the prime minister will brief the leaders during the Forum. Because from here on to the Forum, there's no time for even the further enhanced ECM to take place.
