SOLOMON IS: Former Speaker & PM says ousting a present
Updated
A veteran Solomon Islands politician and former speaker of Parliament, Paul Tovua says the removal of Prime Minister Sogavare is an early Christmas present for the nation. Prime Minister Sogavare was ousted in a motion of no-confidence by parliament by 25 votes to 22. Mr Sogavare will remain on a caretaker basis until a new prime minister is elected. According to Mr Tovua, it's now up to the Governor General to call for nominations of candidates and then allow four-clear days before the election of a new prime minister.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Paul Tovua, Veteran Solomon Islands politician and former speaker of Parliament
TOVUA: I had been following the sequence of the events leading up to this and to me I think to the country as well almost feel like a Christmas present to us, certainly to me the result of the vote of no confidence on the present prime minister. So it looks now that there certainly would be a change of leadership within the next week.
SEKE: Now according to procedures what's going to happen next?
TOVUA: Under the constitution and in particular section 2 of the national constitution, the Governor General will appoint a date for nomination which will be in two days time which would be a Saturday, open the nomination and closing at the afternoon 4 o'clock, and which will give four clear working days before an election would be conducted by the Governor General in parliament, of course this is not a meeting of parliament but an election of a prime minister, which should take place I think by Wednesday, and then Prime Minister should be known by that day, and following that publicly will have to be named and sworn in most probably before the next week ends. That is how I would see things, the events coming up.
SEKE: Now Mr Tovua this would probably be a two-horse race, unlike just after national elections when quite a few people would stand for nomination for the post of prime minister?
TOVUA: I would hope by now certainly from the opposition camp and I think the outgoing government as to who would be their respective candidates to be nominated when the nomination is open some time in the next couple of days.
SEKE: Ok the prime minister is voted out but the game is still not over until a new prime minister is elected?
TOVUA: Yeah well these kind of things nobody really knows, but I would have thought if I was in the government that it's a waste of time to have a motion of no confidence passed when suddenly move across and turn to the other camp. So I think this is only the beginning and taking over the government will really have to come when the Governor General conducts the election of a prime minister next week.
