A SOLOMON Islands academic based in Hawaii, Dr Tarcisius Tara Kabutalaka described late Sir Peter Kenilorea as a noble statesman and one of the country’s greatest leaders.
Dr Kabutalaka said Sir Peter’s death is a great loss for Solomon Islands.
“He (Sir Peter) was a very thoughtful, very honourable person who carried himself very well and because of that he was very well respected in Solomon Islands and in the region as well, he was a very thoughtful person,” Dr Kabutalaka told Radio New Zealand.
Born in Takataka village, Malaita in 1943, Peter Kenilorea grew up at his home island before receiving a scholarship to study in New Zealand.
He was trained as a teacher at Ardmore College; NZ before he returned to Solomon Islands.
He became a teacher and taught at King George Vl National Secondary School at Panatina, Honiara before he took up administrative duties in the Public Service in the early 1970’s during the colonial era.
Sir Peter had held Senior Administrative positions ascending through career promotions to fairly higher positions of responsibility within the civil service then which prepared him well to lead the nation as its first Prime Minister when the country attained independence from Great Britain in 1978.
In a 1995 interview for the “New Flags Flying” series, Sir Peter says he became the Chief Minister in 1976 as frustration with British rule grew stronger.
In 1978, at the age of 35, Solomon Islands became an independent country and the late Sir Peter Kenilorea then became its first Prime Minister, charged with the daunting task of forming some kind of national unity in a country divided by culture, tradition, and geography.
But when ethnic tensions in the Solomon Islands boiled over into violent conflict in the late 1990s, Sir Peter returned to spearhead the process of restoring peace to the country.
Dr Kabutalaka, who was involved in negotiation for the Townsville Peace Agreement, a key attempt to resolve the unrest in 2000, said Sir Peter managed to command a level of respect that others couldn’t.
“He (Sir Peter) was one of those individuals who was respected by both sides and by people from all walks of life in Solomon Islands.
“From the government, or in the church, or in civil society organisations, and even among the so-called militants during the conflict. They saw him as somebody they could trust,” he said.
The Townsville agreement ultimately failed, and an Australian-led multinational force arrived in 2003, with Sir Peter serving as the co-chair of the Peace Monitoring Council for years after the conflict ended.
He also served as the Speaker of Parliament from 2001 to 2010, but retired from public life as he began a long battle with illness.
Sir Peter died on Thursday night 25th February 2016 at his family home in Honiara, and a state funeral is likely to be held next week.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and his seven children and many grand children.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
