PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare (MP) has called on members of the 11th Parliament to stop the debate on the statement made by the late and former Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni and start doing something about it.
During his term as the opposition leader, the late Mamaloni stated that the Solomon Islands is a nation that was conceived but not yet born.
In his wrap up speech at the chambers of Parliament last Thursday Mr Sogavare stated that whilst the statement maybe a philosophical one it tells a lot about the state of the country’s development and “I think at that time, its context was to express the preparedness of the country for independence.
“The indisputable fact about this country is we attained political independence in 1978, was given a package of thank you and a goodbye 10 year independence grant by Great Britain to start a new nation,” he stated.
Mr Sogavare stated that the message and the words of wisdom carried in the statement by the late Mamaloni is that;
“We have attained political independence conceived by impregnating our minds and desires to be like other nations and to be politically independent, but not yet born in the sense, that we are still connected to the placenta; the economies of our aid donors now, by the umbilical cord of aid dependency,” he stated.
Speaking in deep thoughts, the Prime Minister wondered how prior to signing the Independence Order of 1978, the elders back then must have pondered on this new nation about to being born.
Mr Sogavare further made referenced to the several standing committees established at that time to look into and give advice to the assembly.
He further made mention on the decolonization committee which recommended that something must be done about land alienation and that our elders had wanted that to happen.
“They had a vision, but that was not taken into consideration,” he stressed.
The Prime Minister further stated that the then Leader of Opposition and Member of Parliament for Aoke/ Langalanga the late Bartholomew Ulufa’alu was concerned that the country was not ready for independence and had given advice that among other issues that the new country to be, must address and resolve was the issue of land alienation.
“How true that concern was, that 22 years later the country collapsed and the overarching issues that was featured either directly or as the influencing factor in the demands was alienated land,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Sogavare reiterated that whilst leaders can talk about visionary policies, the real issues to first address are those such as land alienation and as well, to understand the system of governance that the country adopted since independence.
“We can stand on the floor of this Parliament and defend this system, we need to come through here and face what is going on right now,” he said.
The Prime Minister further stated that whatever leaders could continue to argue and debate on the statement about the country being conceived but not yet born the question is,
“What are we doing about it? My advice is instead of debating it; we take it as a challenge and make the difference,” he concluded.
