MALAITANs want to remain with democracy and not communism.
That’s according Premier Daniel Suidani in a press conference last Friday.
“As a mandated leader of the province, I will have to be with the people as we are just representatives for them who voted us into power,” he said.
Suidani added the people of Malaita have requested him to declare their stand on the issue just like what other premier said on behalf of their provinces.
But he said as a province, there is no mandate to declare anything regarding the switch.
“But what the people of Malaita have spoken much about is during their (MPs) campaign, they hardly mention the idea to switch from Taiwan to China which has now put a new issue for the country.
“As this is a new issue for the people, it should have been better for people to aware of so that they understand and support it,” he said.
He said the national leaders are also mandated by the people and the people need to know so that can see and understand if their decision can benefit them and the country.
“During the campaign we didn’t hear our National leaders mention the idea to switch so now it’s a new thing to us.
“Our members should come down to us and explain it before they go to China,” he said.
Suidani said what had happened is the opposite where they go to China first and later in a very rush short time, when they came back; they went straight away to make the decision without consulting their people who put them into power.
He said for that reason, Malaita is not supporting the rush decision for switch rather, the government should remain with its long-time friend, Taiwan.
“Malaita people have not seen anything wrong with Taiwan in terms of funding, but we see a problem with leadership.
“In fact Taiwan has given us money and if there’s a need or differences in terms of bilateral relationship, we term it as just an administrative matter where both government should work together and sort it out and not by way of switching,” he said.
He said people of Malaita have also expressed their concern with regards to their understanding of the Christian principal, especially to make a switch to a communist country like china.
“We also have in our minds that with China, there is no free handout so that any money that is offered it has to be loan weather its soft loan it has to be repaid.
“So Malaita don’t want to fall into any debt trap because someone we thought would give us free money is there for us,” he said.
Suidani said Taiwan has helped Solomon Islands in many ways over the last 36 years and even to the darkest days of the country.
He said people of Malaita have not seen any strings attached to what Taiwan has offered and so they want to know what China can do so that they too can understand before the switch is made.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
