THE result of the Prime Ministerial Election on May 2 showed that two members from the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA coalition camp voted for the candidate of the opposite camp, Jeremiah Manele and not their camp’s nominated candidate Matthew Wale.
Prior to the election, the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA camp officially announced that it had 20 MPs in its fold. The Coalition for National Unity and Transformation (CNUT) on the other hand, confirmed to have 32 MPs, inclusive of the MP for Temotu VATUD who was stranded in her constituency after the Joint Election.
So, who were the two betrayers from the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA camp who instead of voting for Wale, voted for Manele? Of course, the election of Prime Ministers is done through secret ballot voting and MPs are in no way obligated to tell even any of their camp members of leaders who they actually voted for.
But government insiders told Solomon Star that one of the two MPs from the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA camp who switched allegiance was the MP for Northwest Guadalcanal Francis Sade and this was evident by his unopposed nomination for the Deputy Speaker post by GNUT.
Sade as announced by the Deputy Clerk to Parliament, Jefferson Hallu, when presiding over the Deputy Speaker Election was the only candidate for the position and that he was nominated by the MP for East Malaita and Minister for Infrastructure Development, Manasseh Maelanga, MP for Baegu-Asifola and Minister for Forestry and Research, Makario Tagini and the MP for South Guadalcanal and Minister for Rural Development, Rollen Seleso.
“The list of nominees of Sade for the role of Deputy Speaker speak for itself that Sade was one of the two from the other camp who crossed over in voting for Manele. This is a normal practice in our politics,” one of the insiders said.
“Everyone in the GNUT camp know that Sade was one of the two who betrayed their camp,” another insider said.
Sade contested the election under the Solomon Islands United Party banner. He ousted the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) candidate, former Northwest Guadalcanal MP Bodo Dettke.
When asked if the Member of Parliament for West Georgia-Vonavona, George Temahua was the other MP from the CARE-SIUP-SIPRA camp who voted for Manele as he and three Cabinet Ministers were the nominees of John Patteson Oti for a second term in the speakership position, government insiders said based on information at hand, it was another MP.
The Deputy Clerk to Parliament, Mr Hallu announced that the nominees of Mr Oti were Prime Minister Manele, MP for South Vella La Vella and Minister for Communication and Aviation, Frederick Kologheto, MP for Northeast Guadalcanal and Minister for Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Jamie Vokia and MP Temahua.
“The information we have here with us is that the other candidate is the MP for Maringe-Kokota, Cathy Launa Nori.
“MP Temahua’s nomination of Mr Oti only shows that both the Government and the Opposition are in favor of the seasoned public servant, politician and stateman serving another term in the speakership role.
“But do bear in mind that the Prime Minister’s Election is done through secret ballot voting but that was the information we have here,” one of the insiders stated.
By DELI-SHARON OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
