Political Leaders Re-Visit 2001!
John Roughan
7 November 2004
Honiara
The last few weeks of political theatre remind all how hard it is for the current government leadership to change its
way of acting. The last thing the Big Man elite care to do is to listen to its people, to act on behalf of the voter or
to assist a nation trying to re-invent itself. So much of public action swirls about how to serve oneself, to stay in
power and to secure funding for the upcoming election.
It wasn't that long ago--2001, in fact--when most parliamentarians worked in overdrive mode trying to award themselves
an extra year in power. The Sogavare government spent heaps of time and energy trying to convince the Solomons public
that the nation was headed for a constitutional meltdown if it dared to hold fresh elections. Public lectures, newspaper
advertisements and government decrees harped on the same message: members must be given an extra year in power to save
the nation. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, the nation held a solid fair and free election in December 2001 and we
had once again a constitutionally elected, although poorly performing, government.
The real constitutional emergency, however,--parliament's constant and continuous failure to listen to its
people--continues to this day. This basic constitutional weakness--the chronic failure of parliamentarians to listen to
the voice of its people--recently raised its ugly head. Parliament, in its June sitting, approved the setting up of a
Special Select Committee to review the citizens petition about the development of the National Art Gallery. Yet,
Cabinet, in its wisdom, simply rode rough shod over the people's petition and sold the site to the Heritage Park Hotel
business interests from PNG
Fortunately, the story doesn't end there. Mr. Sanga, member from East Kwaio, called upon the Speaker of the House, Sir
Peter Kenilorea, to keep Cabinet's feet to the fire. Parliament, when in session, is the superior power to that of
Cabinet. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Cabinet can lightly dismiss parliament's directives. Mr. Sanga is urging Sir
Peter to re-instate the Special Select Committee to study the citizens case when it comes to the future of the National
Art Gallery. If the Speaker's authority does not have enough power to force Cabinet to obey the rules, then the member
from East Malaita is asking the Speaker to bring a court injunction to bear. In other words, the executive branch of
government must follow rules and when it steps out of line the courts can and must intervene.
But the chronic inability to listen to the national voice is on us again. This week the nation will once again witness
whether the people's voice will be heard or will certain groups' interests, the logging industry and its local cronies,
will have the final word. Last week the Solomons' Cabinet after heated debate delayed making a decision. Vested
interests--cabinet members with major logging companies in their constituencies--are determined to stop the government
tabling the New Forestry Bill in parliament's sitting later this month.
Members are well aware that the current 900,000 cubic meters harvested annually is killing our natural forest cover. It
produces about 250,000 cubic meters of harvestable timber in any one year. The present rape of our forests by southeast
Asian companies with active assistance from our own people is almost 4 times more than can be sustained. No matta!
What's more important to the round tree loggers is that these easy monies could well dry up if the New Forestry Bill
were to ever become the law of the land.
All kinds of arguments are dragged out by those wanting to preserver their money flow for themselves. Landowners, they
argue, must have more say. Bring the Bill back to them, let them debate it and if they think the forestry bill is a good
idea, then bring it back to parliament at a later date. Of course everyone knows that this would take years to
accomplish and probably would never happen.
Others argue that yes, there should be a slow down in harvest over a ten year period or so. Once again, time to save the
forests is doubtful. At the present rate of severe over harvesting, commercial logging could come to an end before that
plan meant anything. Still another pro logger, a cabinet member, states that the New Forestry Bill lessens villagers'
rights and customs. If this is so, then bring those arguments to parliament's floor and make a convincing case. That's
what parliament debate is supposed to be about. But the real reason, many believe, behind much of this posturing is the
fact that members are worried more about their own pocket books than national livelihoods.
People's rights and citizens' just demands receive less and less attention from parliament members. The nation has
experienced this continuous constitutional crisis over many years now. When members routinely fail to heed their people
and make light of citizens legitimate demands, then we have the beginning of a dictatorship of the few.
ENDS