Manasseh Sogavare

Rosso meets SI Prime Minister

Rosso, who is also Minister for Immigration and Border Security, Lands, Physical Planning and Urbanization, is in the Solomon Islands to give prominence to the work that the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority (PNGICSA) and the Solomon Island Immigration Division (SIID) is undertaking in preparation for the Pacific Games in November.

Rosso met with Prime Minister Sogavare and relevant Ministers on requests by the Solomon Islands Government for assistance with immigration and border security, and police.

Solomon Islands: Sogavare defeats no confidence motion

It was moved by the leader of the opposition Matthew Wale after major political unrest in the capital last month saw three days of rioting, looting and burning of businesses and properties in Honiara.

During the debate on the motion Mr Wale made multiple allegations of corruption against the prime minister, accusing Mr Sogavare of using money from foreign loggers and China to secure his support in the house.

In response Mr Sogavare challenged him to prove them in court.

Six parties could form next Solomons government

The Island Sun said the six are the Solomon Islands Democratic Party, the United Democrats, the United Party, the People's Alliance, People's First, and the Party for Rural Advancement.

These parties can boast a slight majority with 26 MPs in the 50 seat house.

The paper said party leaders are expected to commit to a grand coalition agreement which appears set to lock out independent MPs, who constitute a block of 17 in the new parliament.

Fiji hits back over Indonesia's place in the MSG

Speaking in the Solomons parliament Monday, Manasseh Sogavare said Fiji should apologise for bringing Indonesia into the MSG.  

He said Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama breached MSG procedure by forcing the other four full members to accept Indonesia as part of the sub-regional grouping, whose full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS Kanaks movement of New Caledonia.  

Indonesia was admitted to the MSG with observer status in 2011 after Bainimarama assumed the MSG's rotational chairmanship.  

MSG chairs say West Papua will be admitted

Vanuatu's Daily Post reported Prime Minister Sogavare reportedly saying Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS movement would admit West Papua at the next MSG Leaders’ Summit in Vanuatu, even if Papua New Guinea and Fiji stay away.

The postponed MSG leaders’ summit will be held in December.

West Papua is a province in Indonesia that shares the common land border with Papua New Guinea.

Solomon Islands PM tours Pacific Games venues

Solomon Islands will be hosting the 2023 Pacific Games and Sogavare says the real work will start after the bid to make sure the infrastructures are ready in time before the Games.

“Since we are here, I know we can learn a lot of from the experience of Papua New Guinea.

“So far this morning we toured a number of sites and one thing of course is the infrastructure.

Solomons PM urged to press on with anti-corruption bill

Manasseh Sogavare suspended the passage of the 2016 Anti-Corruption Bill after its first reading two weeks ago, citing a reversal in the bi-partisan support for the bill.

But the executive officer for Transparency Solomon Islands Ruth Liloqula said the postponement suggested an internal struggle, as the government should not need the support of the opposition or independents to pass the legislation.

Solomon Islands to host 2016 Pacific Islands Development Forum Summit

The acceptance was communicated in a meeting between the Prime Minister and the PIDF Director-General, Francois Martel in Suva, Fiji last Friday during his MSG Capitals’ tour.

Martel requested the meeting to update the Prime Minister about new developments of the PIDF since its last summit in the Fiji Capital in September 2015 and also to put forward to him the proposal for the Solomon Islands Government to play host to the 2016 PIDF Summit.

MSG Chair to continue regional tour

Manasseh Sogavare was forced to postpone the Suva leg of his tour after Cyclone Winston struck Fiji.

While in Suva, the Prime Minister will give nearly $US900,000 to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation effort.

Mr Sogavare has been touring member countries including Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia.

The leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group are concerned at the state of the MSG secretariat and are planning a special summit to try and remedy it.

 

Solomon Islands PM launches new aid policy

Called Aid Management and Development Cooperation Policy, the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination, in consultation with other stakeholders, produced the document.

Sogavare said foreign aid to Solomon Islands is relative large and is a major source of funding for development.

“In 2015, the total aid reported was approximately $1.1 billion (US$123 million), funded by bilateral and multilateral development partners,” Sogavare said.

“This made up approximately 68 per cent of the development expenditure in 2015,” he added.