PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare has condemned in the strongest terms the action of Opposition and former DCC MPs “who are using scrupulous tactics to lobby for another motion of no-confidence against his government.
Mr Sogavare said he was aghast to have learned that members of the Opposition and former DCC MPs are pushing their determination to lure government MPs even during periods of grief and death situations.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the actions of MPs Mathew Wale and Bodo Dettke on the 24 November 2015 for lobbying and attempting to bribe Minister of Culture and Tourism, Batholomew Parapolo when he, his close family and friends were and are mourning the passing away of Parapolo’s late wife, who passed away on Tuesday 24 November,” Mr Sogavare said.
“It is shocking that Wale and Dettke were more interested in pursuing political self-interest while Minister Parapolo and family were and are grieving the passing away of Minister Parapolo’s wife, the late Elsie Idute’e,” Mr Sogavare said.
“The least Wale and Dettke could do were to share the grief Minister Parapolo and family are going through than displaying their wallets and showing the ghost lists of purported MPs that have pledged to their ill-conceived intention of bringing a doomed motion of no confidence right in front of the grieving Minister.”
Mr Sogavare said the practice of attempting to lobby Government MPs with bags of money has also extended to the attendance of official and State affairs, both domestically and abroad.
“Clearly some members of the Opposition Group and former DCC Government MPs are still pursuing political self-interest at the expense of the interest of all Solomon Islanders,” the Prime Minister said.
“Wale wants to be Prime Minister or Finance Minister while Detke wants to return to the Ministry of Forestry so that he can issue permits to his own logging company under the pretext of agro-forest permits.
“Wale and Bodo’s actions and behaviour were cultural and morally insensitive and does not speak well for someone who wants to be PM and Minister of Forest respectively,” Mr Sogavare said.
The Prime Minister said the tactics used leading up to the next seating of Parliament in December were “deplorable” and only demonstrated how low the Opposition MPs will stoop to pursue their on-going plan to overthrow the DCC Government.
However, the Prime Minister said the DCC Government is “rock solid” and will defeat any upcoming motion of no-confidence against his government.
“The DCC Government is going full throttle in ensuring the 2016 Budget reaches Parliament next week with passage of the 2016 Budget expected before Christmas,” he said.
“The time for politicking is over.
“Solomon Islanders are looking forward to Christmas and the DCC Government is busy getting the nation’s budget through Parliament, yet the Opposition and former defected MPs headed by Wale and Dettke are desperately pursuing their political self-interest,” the Prime Minister said.
