Wale reportedly unhappy with gov’t
MEMBER of Parliament for Aoke Langalanga, Matthew Wale was reportedly bitter about his exclusion from the ministerial line-up in the new government.
And how long he’ll be on the government side remain the big question.
The Australian newspaper reported that Mr Wale, the rising Solomon Islands politician who almost became prime minister, has seen his ministerial ambitions torpedoed by corruption allegations involving Australian gold mining companies.
Mr Wale had been widely touted to take up the key portfolio of Finance and Treasury under the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
But on Tuesday, Mr Wale found himself stuck on the backbench, after Mr Sogavare announced the new finance minister would be Snyder Rini.
The Australian Federal Police and Solomon Islands authorities are investigating allegations that as an MP in the last government, Mr Wale accepted bribes from Australian company Allied Gold in exchange for helping arrange a variety of government permits.
However, political insiders claimed a number of factors contributed to the exclusion of Mr Wale in the ministerial line-up.
“Firstly, it was a consensus reached by members of the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC) for Mr Wale to be the Deputy Prime Minister after he came second to Mr Sogavare in the elimination process,” one insider explained.
“However, Mr Wale later gave away the DPM post to Douglas Ete following an assurance from the Prime Minister for him to take the finance portfolio,” a political insider said.
But after the prime minister found out that it was hard to choose a finance minister between Mr Wale and MP for Marovo, Snyder Rini, he decided to go for elimination.
The insider revealed after Mr Sogavare sensed that most ministers would support Mr Wale for the finance portfolio, he decided to exercise his prerogative power to appoint Mr Rini.
Mr Sogavare claimed he opted for Mr Rini because of an allegation hanging over Mr Wale’s head.
However, political insiders claimed it was only an allegation leveled against Mr Wale compared to Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, Peter Shanel Agovaka, who got a pending assault charge.
“We don’t know what game the PM is playing,” another insider said.
“Maybe he is playing a revenge game or just want Mr Wale to be out of the cabinet so he can control it,” the insider added.
Looking at it from the perspective of regionalism, the political insider said Mr Sogavare claimed Malaitans namely Manasseh Maelanga and Rick Hou held the posts of DPM and Finance respectively in last government, but there was no development taking place in Malaita.
As such Mr Sogavare decided to appoint a man from Western province for the Finance post.
But the insider said Mr Wale was a different person to Mr Hou and can make a difference in cabinet.
Mr Wale was in Australia when Mr Rini was sworn in on Tuesday.
He was reportedly not happy over the appointment because the government side lied to him.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
