EAST Kwaio Constituency candidate, Alfred Sasako, has welcomed the announcement of a Commonwealth Observer Group to observe the conduct of the national general election next week.
The group is being led by former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta.
“I wish to warmly welcome in particular Sir Mekere to Solomon Islands,” Mr Sasako said in a statement issued in Honiara, Wednesday.
“The Commonwealth’s interest in our national general election shows that democracy is alive and well and that the Commonwealth as a global force for good is prepared to travel far and wide in order to protect its principles of equality, fairness and justice for all,” he said.
Mr Sasako said the last eight years have been a rather trying time for the majority of Solomon Islanders who voted for losing candidates at the last election.
“These people made up almost 85 per cent of our population and yet because they exercised their democratic rights in voting candidates of their choices, they became victims of democracy.
“The powers that be simply ignored them when it comes to service delivery. For example, their children were denied a basic education as politicians paid school fees only for the kids of those who voted them in.
“This unfair practice has left thousands of primary, secondary and university students with outstanding school fees which have been held against them,” he said.
He said this is just one example. And yet the government made available through the Constituency Scholarship Fund some $20 million annually for this purpose. It means that each MP had $400, 000 each year at his disposal for this purpose.
And was the money used for this purpose? The answer is a resounding no,” Mr Sasako said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sasako has expressed disappointment in the Solomon Islands’ Electoral Commission’s decision to ignore his earlier call for Constituency voting booths to be set up in Honiara.
“That decision simply nullifies the intention of Constituency voter registration, which went so well in Honiara earlier this year.
“What is the point, I ask, in registering as a voter when you cannot get to a polling booth to cast your vote?
“It’s a farce. Thousands will not participate in this election because of the haphazard way the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission has gone about organizing this year’s election.
“I hope we have learned some lessons from this nightmare.”
