SOLOMON IS: Ramsi envoy claims he is political victim
Updated
The Solomon Islands government's Special Envoy to the Regional Assistance Mission, Michael Maina has accused former Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare of manipulating his appointment for political gain. Mr Maina says that while Mr Sogavare was in office, he ordered Mr Maina's sacking in order to win the vote of his political rival, Temotu Pele M-P Martin Magga.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Solomon Islands government's Special Envoy to the Regional Assistance Mission, Michael Maina; former Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare
SEKE: Mr Maina has accused Mr Sogavare of sacking him for political purposes -- and says he was reinstated shortly afterwards when Mr Sogavare realised that Mr Magga had defected to join the opposition, which is now in power. The new government of Prime Minister Derek Sikua has since re-affirmed Mr Maina's appointment. Meantime Mr Maina says the parties to RAMSI are now busy preparing for the 3rd Enhanced Consultative Meeting to be held in Honiara this week.
MAINA: We're also now dealing with the third consultative meeting, Enhanced Consultative Meeting, which will take place soon in Honiara, on the 28th, and also with the foreign ministers, which will take place on the 26th.
SEKE: Mr Maina how do you feel about your reappointment by the Dr Sikua government?
MAINA: I'm very pleased that I'm given another task to assist with the relationship and the partnership between RAMSI and the Solomon Islands government. As you know it was a very difficult time to have in the last few months before the change of government because nobody was interested to deal with RAMSI at the time.
SEKE: You were reportedly sacked by the former Sogavare government, in fact by the prime minister himself because he said at that time that you had not produced any report at all during the time you had been appointed the special envoy to RAMSI?
MAINA: I deny that. I have reported to him matters that he has asked me to deal with. I have also produced a report and as a result he re-engaged me. Although he terminated me sort of recently, he later in November last year re-engaged me on the same terms and conditions as per the contract which I signed with him in May.
SEKE: And what could have been the reason for his attitude towards you in earlier dismissing your appointment?
MAINA: He was more interested on the numbers, the numbers that would, people that would support him on the floor of parliament, because there was a motion of no confidence coming up. And Mr Magga was the MP for the area; he needed him for that role in parliament. I can't vote and therefore he decided to terminate my services so that Magga would jump on to the government side to support him in the motion of no confidence. Unfortunately it did not work for Mr Magga, jumped to then the opposition and as a result he re-engaged me again.
SEKE: The Solomon Islands government's special envoy to RAMSI, Michael Maina. However, former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare - who's now Leader of the opposition - says Mr Maina should understand that he is a political appointee. As such, Mr Sogavare says the government had the prerogative to hire and fire him as it pleased.
SOGAVARE: It has to be understood yes that Mr Maina's appointment is a political appointment. He raised the concern or he raised the allegation that he's been fired it's because a member of the then coalition who faced a challenge by Maina through a petition. And so he alleged that the reason why we fired him it was because of the influence by the minister. But he just needs to understand that his appointment is political, he's appointed at the pleasure of a government and removed at the pleasure of a government.
SEKE: At that time when he was dismissed you indicated that he had not submitted any reports to you during the time of his appointment.
SOGAVARE: Well that's very true as well, he acted more like RAMSI's own voice than Solomon Islands government. It's all very comfortable, he was with them all the time and rarely briefed me on what happened. I hardly received the kind of reports that I wanted from him and because he's appointed by us at our pleasure, we removed him at our pleasure.
