Thursday, January 20, 2011

CNRA in rough waters...as predicted.

Just about five months into his tenure as Prime Minister, Danny Philips' Coalition for Reform and National Advancement government (CNRA) is sailing the roughest waters of its short voyage. 

Latest reports have alleged that about four government ministers will be submitting their resignation to the Prime Minister soon to join the Opposition.

The reports said that the Minsters; Dodo Detke, Martin Sophage, Mark Kemakeza and Douglas Ete had a 'reconciliation ceremony' of some sort last night at the Office of the Leader of Opposition with their former SIDP and CNURA colleagues. 

This ceremony was held purposely to iron out differences so that the four MPs can rejoin the Opposition and remove the government from power. 

If these rumours are true, the next sitting of parliament will be a very interesting one as it will almost be certain that a motion of no confidence will be moved against the PM.

On a personal note, I think the move taken by the five MP's is a good one. 

The current government is so dominated by self-serving characters that even the Prime Minister himself cannot get under control. As revealed in his letter to the media, even the PM himself was blindsided by the most influential of the 'big boys'- Lilo. 


If true, this perhaps is the beginning of the end of the voyage of Mv. CNRA and may well be the closing chapter in their log book. 

As you may have seen in the media, the government has been faced with one controversy after another; thanks to the 'big players' of the group. 

Even at the beginning of the process of government formation, there was already in-house rivalry between these so-called 'power players' or big boys. We all read about it the media of how Hon. Gordon Darcy Lilo and Hon Snyder Rini fought over the finance port folio. No body wanted to settle for the second-best. 

In the end its was not surprising to see that GDL became the Finance Minister. The current PM and GDL are very close allies. 

As if things have settled down enough for the new government, the next hurdle was just around the corner. The scene was set in the forests of Solomon Islands, when the Forestry Minister was alleged to have acted insubordination to the wishes of the PM, GDL and their cronnies, those Asian Loggers. 

The forestry minister himself has been under immense pressure from Transparency Solomon Islands and the Civil society since getting the forestry port folio. He is a logger himself and clearly possessing vested interests in the industry it was rightfully deemed incorrect for him to be the Minister. His appointment amounted to conflict of interest. 

We then witnessed the next hurdle, a power-play which was set in the shores and waters of our economy- the Fisheries/ becher-de-mer saga, involving GDL, the previously sacked and now 'reshuffled' former Forestry Minister, Dodo Detke, and an Asian businessman. 



The issue was settled but to the dismay of most Solomon Islanders. As far as many Solomon Islanders are concerned the manner in which the government handled the issue was not suspicious and therefore was undesirable.

Just when people's frustrations were at boiling point, the Government through the Minister of Police and Justice appointed the Parole Board to endorse the early release of their former colleague minister for fisheries and former MEF militant commander Jimmy Rasta Lusibaea. 

Frustrations are expressed in the media from all sectors of the society. 


In the midst of all these controversies the lone voice for the government has been doing a remarkable job. The SSPM to the Prime Minister is doing exactly what is expected of him, and what he is being paid for.


But perhaps, even some members of the Coalition can no longer bear the guilt they are carrying within them- the guilt of letting their people down in being part of a government that after almost five months has done little to the people of Solomon Islands, but to serve their own interests and political ambitions. 

Instead of serving Solomon Islanders, they have deserted them... what the people receive in return is nothing but a big slap on their (Solomon Islanders') faces. 

No comments:

Post a Comment