Solomons Parliament passes RAMSI review motion
Updated
As the Australian led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, RAMSI, marks its fifth anniversary the Solomon Islands parliament has passed a motion to review the international assistance legislation. The legislation governs the presence of RAMSI in Solomon Islands and it has to be endorsed every year by parliament to allow the mission to stay in the country.
Presenter: Evan Wasuka
Speakers: Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Dr Derek Sikua; Solomon Islands opposition leader, Manasseh Sogavare;
Member of Parliament Rendova Tetepare, Francis Zama; former Solomons Prime Minsiter, Sir Allan Kemakeza
WASUKA: Solomon Islands Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua says the review would be carried out by Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee.
Dr Sikua says the review would look allow parliament to make decisions on the future of RAMSI.
SIKUA: The five years of RAMSI mission in Solomon Islands has achieved much that is of great value to the current government and people of Solomon Islands. However, this positive impact has been counter-balanced by local perception rightly or wrongly, that this assistance has been at the expense of local ownership and that the partnership has been unequal. A Solomon Islands review will better inform this house on the way forward. You will also note Mr Speaker, Sir, that all reviews so far carried out on the mission have been done by external organisations and bodies. Solomon Islands and government for that matter have yet to carry out any review of the mission. The referring of this review to the Foreign Relations Committee will set this process in motion.
WASUKA: The motion was passed unanimously by the whole house with even support from former prime minister and opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare.
Mr Sogavare's has had a tenacious relationship with RAMSI but today even he backed the prime minister's call.
SOGAVARE: The situation in 2003, which warranted aggressive like military style intervention are almost no longer there, Mr Speaker. And that situation change altogether and that's why some of us have been calling for some really aggressive review towards this point.
WASUKA: But not all parliamentarians were happy with RAMSI's work the member of parliament for Rendova Tetepare Francis Zama, described RAMSI as a liability to the nation.
Mr Zama had been one of RAMSI's high profile arrests in its campaign against corruption within the Solomon Islands government.
ZAMA: Involvement of RAMSI in Solomon Islands is overkilling and is a liability to the people of this country. And I stand by those two comments I raised that the involvement of RAMSI in Solomon Islands is overkilling and it is a liability to the people of this country. I know the Minister of Environment is smiling there, and he raised some comments.
Mr Speaker, I will deliberate when I raised these comments to the RAMSI downfall. After five years, we're still confused as to what kind of review we're trying to raise on the floor of parliament.
WASUKA: As for the man responsible for bringing RAMSI into the country in 2003 former Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza says five years on RAMSI still has a lot of work to do in the country.
KEMAKEZA: What about capacity building, eh Minister, and this is where people try to complain and jumping up and down Mr Speaker. No more, we have to bring out this democracy, the machinery of the parliament, the institution, the provinces, the laws of our country. Pick them up and that is a serious task of RAMSI.
WASUKA: Since bringing RAMSI in Sir Allan himself has ended up on the wrong side of the law. He is considered to be RAMSI's highest ranking conviction after he was sentenced to ethnic tension labour charges earlier this year. Despite the conviction, Sir Allan has prided himself on still being a strong supporter of RAMSI.
