MALA SUMMIT OPENS TODAY
By WILSON SAENI
in Auki
FOUR senior MPs from Malaita arrived in Auki yesterday ahead of the one-day Malaita Leaders’ Summit in Auki today.
Opposition leader Mathew Wale, his deputy Peter Kenilorea Jnr, Small Malaita MP Rick Hou and West Kwara’ae MP Sam Iduri arrived in Auki yesterday.
Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani and civil society group Malaita for Democracy (M4D) earlier sent our invitations to the 14 MPs from the province to attend the summit.
Other MPs will arrive today. But it’s unlikely the 14 MPs will attend.
Deputy Premier Randoll Sifoni and M4D chairman Knoxly Atu met and welcomed the four MPs on their arrival at Gwounaru’u airport yesterday morning.
Sifoni told the four their attendance of today’s summit means a lot to the people of Malaita.
“It also shows you are willing to come down and discuss the way forward for the province,” he added.
The Sogavare Government’s recent decision to switch ties from Taiwan to China is expected to feature in today’s discussions.
Sifoni said a lot of Malaitans questioned the basis of the recent decision to switch so it’s good Malaita leaders sit down and talk about it.
Other topics on the summit agenda include Malaita history and development, US offer and opportunities, , Malaita solidarity with its premier.
One of the agendas stated the key items for action include the following: Bina Harbor, Grant funded public work, Grant funded university, climate change mitigation, agriculture, and tourism.
A communique is expected to be released after the summit.
Meanwhile, M4D said it wants Malaita MPs on the government side to also attend.
