Dear Editor – Commenting on the Prime Minister’s view that the “Federal system of Government must be thoroughly checked” (Solomon star 22/06/2017), I would like to remind the DCCG not to drag the Draft Federal Constitution, until it is too late to pass in parliament next year.
Whilst I fully support the importance of rebuilding Solomon Islands “To become one Nation and one people and one Future” after the ethnic tension and departure of RAMSI on 30/06/2017, DCCG must not forget that the geo-political nature of Solomon Islands is made up of six main islands and nine provinces, various racial and ethnic groupings.
Solomon Islands is not a big island nation like Taiwan where it is divided into provinces and easier for central government to construct network of roads, airports, telecommunication, business centres and all connected to the national Capital.
All services are accessible to all in the country.
Our country is very diverse and the centralized system of governing already proved that will always be unequal distribution of wealth, socio-economic developments and non-sustainable use of resources as shown by the Forestry sector in that 38 years.
Federal system of government is the best system applied today in countries where there is a diverse geo-political nature.
I urge the DCCG Government to get Solomon Islands adopt the Federal system of Government before the parliament dissolved in 2018.
Otherwise, the call for one nation, one people and one future, under the current centralized Government system will not be successful because the people (provinces) will continue to experience unequal sharing and distribution of wealth and socio-economic development.
Clement Kengava
Former Premier & MP
Choiseul Province
