THE United Democratic Party says it will set up two councils to deal with fresh disputes between provinces if it forms the new government after November 19 elections.
Party Vice President and former Prime Minister, Danny Philip says the first is the Provincial Arbitration Council, which will deal with fresh disputes between the nine provinces including Honiara.
He says councillors will come from all the provinces and Honiara.
Mr Philip says the main idea about the establishment of the Provincial Arbitration Council stems from the disputes between the people of Renbell and Malaita Provinces in 1989, the people of Temotu and Malaita Provinces in 1991 and the most recent dispute, the ethnic tensions of 1998 and 2003 between the people of Guadalcanal and Malaita provinces.
The other council, which the UDP will set up if it forms the new government, is the Provincial Reconciliation Council whose members will also be appointed from all the provinces and Honiara.
Mr Philip says the PRC will deal with people who by re-settlement or by choice have decided to settle in other parts of Solomon Islands.
He says the first category include people who have been resettled in Solomon Islands from the former Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, now Kiribati and Tuvalu, and Tikopians from Eastern Solomon Outer Islands.
Then, Mr Philip says there are people who have decided to settle on islands or provinces from which they have bought lands and through inter-marriages.
He says the Provincial Reconciliation Council will be responsible to work out how best the settlers can be assimilated into the new societies.
Mr Philip says a UDP government will ensure the settlers and the indigenous communities will accept each other so they can live together in unity and harmony.
– By George Atkin
