THE Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the government is not in any way politicising the Taimareho sea (T27) tragedy as reported in the media, Thursday.
He made this statement when he moved the motion of special adjournment in parliament yesterday.
It was reported that the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Are’Are Constituency has recently called on the Office of the Prime Minister (OPMC) to leave politics aside and help address the Taimareho sea tragedy.
Earlier on before this exclusive interview, Maneniaru raised his concern on the floor of parliament when he contributed to the 2020 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2020 moved by the Minister of Finance this week.
He told parliament that the families, relatives of T27, and himself are still waiting for responses from the Office of the Prime Minister so as to find a lasting and amicable solution that would put the issue to rest.
But Sogavare when responding to the media article said that there are procedures to follow with regards to this issue.
“This is not just an ordinary issue.
“We are obliged to follow the right legal procedures and processes and my government is waiting for various reports from respective authorities before we can act,” Sogavare said.
On the same note, Minister for Infrastructure Development Mannaseh Maelanga also assured the MP for West Are’Are that they are finalising the reports on the T27 tragedy.
Mr. Maelanga made the assurance in his contribution to the motion of special adjournment.
“Like the prime minister had already explained that there are processes that must be followed to address the issue properly and I can also assure you that with the powers vested on me, I will release the reports,” he added
Meanwhile, Maneniaru thanked the prime minister for clarifying the issue.
“If I’m not following the right procedures or protocol, please accept my apology. Since the tragedy, I was under immense pressure from my people and the families who have lost their loved ones,” he expressed on the floor of parliament.
The parliament passed the 2020 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2020 yesterday.
Parliament adjourns to Monday 9th November 2020.
By ANDREW FANASIA
Honiara Newsroom
