CARETAKER Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, including a number of government officials, family members and supporters, left last weekend for North East Choiseul ahead of his enthronement as a chief by the people of Choiseul.
In preparation for the important cultural occasion, the delegation left for Choiseul onboard Patrol Boat Gizo on Sunday night.
They were expected to arrive in Choiseul yesterday afternoon ahead of the ceremony scheduled for mid this week.
Already there is excitement in the village where the ceremony will take place.
Sogavare is from Tangibangara village.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office last week said the cultural event of installing a chiefly title is significant to the people of Choiseul Province and such title is not bestowed upon just anyone.
“The only other person given the title of chief was Reverend Leslie Boseto, who was bestowed with the chieftaincy title, in recognition of his immense contribution to the United Church or religion for that matter.”
Sogavare will be installed as a chief in recognition of his 27 years in politics, and more so, in acknowledgment of his successful full term in power as the country’s Prime Minister.
According to Choiseul culture, such recognition is rare and not common and that a person who is considered for the chiefly title must have a record of distinguished service to the people. Caretaker Prime Minister Sogavare fits in well with this requirement.
The caretaker Prime Minister is a seasoned public servant, having joined the public service cadre in the early 1960s and he worked his way up to be the Inland Revenue Commissioner – the last post he held before taking up the post of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury.
In 1997, he entered Parliament as the Member for the East Choiseul Constituency, a seat he holds to this day. This year marks his 27 years in politics.
The caretaker Prime Minister also served more than nine years as Prime Minister and that was from 2000- 2001, 2006- 2007, 2014- 2017 and from 2019 till present.
Caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was also named the persons of the year by the Island Business Magazine last year.
By MOFFAT MAMU