Premier Suidani welcomes ‘reconciliation call’ with open arms
MALAITA Province needs you and so be it, says the Malaita Provincial Premier Daniel Suidani in response to a call by Ward 15 Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Edward Misite’e.
Premier Suidani is responding to a call by the MPA for a reconciliation with the MARA government ahead of the full Assembly meeting this month.
Mr Misite’e made a strong statement claiming Malaita needs them and they want to reconcile with the MARA government before the Full Assembly meeting.
Speaking to Solomon Star Auki yesterday, the Malaita Premier said the MARA government is open for reconciliation and calls on Mr. Misite’e and his supporters to ‘walk the talk’ by making their way to Auki by Monday next week for a reconciliation.
“Let me remind Mr. Misite’e that this is the fifth time I call for you and your supporters to come forward to reconcile with MARA if you still have ill-feelings towards the MARA government.
“Since the last failed motion of no confidence which Mr. Misite’e was instrumental in rallying his support behind, I have been making numerous calls for the Ward 15 MPA and his supporting MPAs to come forward, but those calls fell on deaf ears.
“The only MPA on the opposition group that showed up is the MPA for Ward 4 Iven Tonafalea and I thank him for his maturity,” he said.
The premier believes if Mr Misite’e and all opposition MPAs have taken the step that the Ward 4 MPA did last year, by now this issue would already be water under the bridge.
“Talking about support and unity, to set the record straight, Mr. Misite’e was not supportive of the MARA government since day one and he himself knows it.
“What support and unity is Mr. Misite’e talking about here?”
The Premier said the withdrawal of the Malaita Public Account Committee (PAC) which Mr Misite’e highlighted is because these voted MPAs do not honor their roles as elected members of the Malaita Provincial Assembly.
“PAC is not functioning because of the unwillingness of members of PAC to carry on their mandated roles.”
The Malaita Premier said, by the tone of Mr Misite’e one can tell that the Ward 15 MPA has been isolating himself for the past four months not knowing what the MARA government has been doing for the people of Malaita in the light of covid-19.
The premier said he somehow establishes that Mr Misite’e’s statement in requesting the Premier to quickly mend the so called longstanding issues between the MARA government and DCGA government is funny as the Ward 15 MPA is one of those few MPAs that consistently supplied wood to that burning fire.
With that, the Premier said MARA is open for reconciliation and said it will be nice to see Malaita MPAs come together and honor their respective roles as voted leaders representing their respective Wards and not hiding away, and absent from important meetings.
Numerous calls made by the Premier in the past for reconciliation were ignored including the big reconciliation held at Aimela last year.
The Malaita Provincial Assembly is expected to hold its first budget meeting for this financial year this month.
This will be the second budget meeting held after the second failed motion of no confidence to oust Premier Suidani and the MARA government last year.
Opposition MPAs boycotted the first meeting held in November after the failed motion in September of 2021.
PAC which is made up of opposition MPAs is not functioning since then after opposition MPAs including Mr Misite’e tendered their resignation letters from PAC prior to the last budget meeting.
The premier is of the view that if Mr. Misite’e really wants to reconcile then he should show up because the MARA executive members have since moved on and have no grievances against any non-executive MPAs.
By WILSON SAENI
Auki News Bureau
