Political leaders and officials from Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s indigenous political movement—the Front De Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS)—have gathered in Noumea for the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) summit. (more…)
The parliament of Papua New Guinea has responded to a spate of globally publicized crimes with legislative amendments. In the same session that the Sorcery Act, which provided a defence for violent attacks on suspected sorcerers, was repealed, the parliament voted to apply the death penalty to a longer list of crimes — including high-level corruption — by imposing stricter penalties for white-collar crimes, kidnapping and theft. (more…)
Former president Oscar Temaru managed a last minute political victory, seeing French Polynesia re-inscribed into the United Nations decolonisation list on the same day he handed over his presidency to Gaston Flosse. The resolution was introduced to the 193-member UN General Assembly by Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Samoa, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste. The United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands all disassociated themselves from the consensus vote and the French boycotted the meeting. (more…)
As Solomon Islanders debate the wisdom of Bishop Terry Brown’s unilateral decision to release the long awaited Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report, Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo is being urged to table the report in parliament. Bishop Brown has told Radio Australia true reconciliation will only come about when Solomon Islanders know the facts surrounding the ethnic tension that erupted in 1997. He added that he hoped his decision to unofficially release the report would push the government to address the commission’s recommendations. (more…)
The Melanesian Spearhead Group has become the focus of considerable activity in the lead up to the Leaders’ Summit in June, in spite of accusations from Fijian opposition leader Mick Beddoes that the organization is ‘embracing dictatorship’. Fijian PM Bainimarama has suggested the group might assist with election monitoring in 2014. Vanuatu foreign minister Edward Natapei meanwhile visited Fiji to formally make amends for having slighted Fiji’s Voreqe Bainimarama in 2010. The West Papua National Council for Liberation (WPNCL) continued its membership campaign with visits to New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, an idea to which the membership seems to be warming. In a wide-ranging interview with PiPP, MSG chair Peter Forau underlined Sir Michael Somare’s ‘historic’ statement that the MSG is not an intergovernmental organisation, and admitted there is a sense that the people of West Papua could find a place in the organisation. The vision of an economic union (discussed in the next item) was touted as well by outgoing chair Bainimarama. (more…)
Fiji has extended the draft constitution submission deadline until April 26th. The extension comes amidst heightened levels of criticism of the draft constitution in its current form. The Citizens Constitutional Forum released a report (pdf) outlining its main concerns, the United Front for a Democratic Fiji held a public meeting and Rewa high chief, Ro Teimumu Kepa, led a delegation through Suva to deliver their rejection of the draft directly to the Attorney General’s office. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama responded by suggesting the draft was being ‘misrepresented’ by certain individuals and NGOs.
Bainimarama also recently revealed the current government would be joining him to form a political party that will seek election next year. Whether there will be any other parties remains to be seen, with the registrar yet to give any contenders the all-clear sign to run.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Laisenia Qarase was released from prison last week, having served seven months of a one-year term. But given restrictions under the draft constitution, Qarase looks set to be excluded from the proposed 2014 poll.
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The Melanesian Spearhead Group continued to celebrate its silver jubilee, marking its formation in 1988, with a special Melanesia Week. There have been events in Vanuatu and Fiji to note the milestone with more to come in New Caledonia in June when it takes over the Chairmanship of the sub-regional grouping. In a recent Devpolicy interview, MSG Secretary General Peter Forau attributed MSG’s successful rise to the fact that Australia and New Zealand are not members, as they are of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Others hope its “people to people” initiatives will grow in order for the MSG to maintain relevance.
While in Fiji for MSG celebrations, former PNG PM Sir Michael Somare reaffirmed his support for Bainimarama and Kanaky liberation in New Caledonia, suggested re-visiting the nuclear free Pacific idea and left the door open to others in Melanesia to join, perhaps a signal for the West Papuans, who have also recently received support from PNG’s Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop . West Papua’s push for observer status within the MSG has been a hot topic recently, particularly with the Pacific-wide tour of Benny Wenda, one of its prominent leaders.
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Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has defended the 2012 elections, after two separate organisations criticised the process. Transparency International PNG labeled the elections ‘unacceptable’ due to observer reports indicating that at 21% of polling places the election was believed to be either ‘mostly unfair’ or ‘very unfair’. Transparency found that the elections “were seriously flawed to the extent that our democratic traditions are continuing to be seriously compromised” and concluded that “trust in the electoral process [is] declining.” Observers from the Domestic Observation Group concluded in this October report [pdf], that the ‘2012 elections were worse than the 2007 elections both in terms of security as well as fraud and malpractice’.
Meanwhile, PNG’s Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Trawen, has stated that he has accepted the observer reports and that he will use them to help guide the PNG Electoral Commission to improve the management of elections in the future. However, the commission came under attack in the TI report, which noted “anecdotes alleging corrupt practices within the commission itself.”
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This week in Dili, Timor-Leste, The Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP) is facilitating a major global conference, bringing together representatives from the Pacific and 18 of the world’s most vulnerable countries, grouped together in a new body known as the “g7 Plus”.
The conference will seek to build consensus from a gathering of government policy-makers and global thinkers in shaping a “post-MDG world”.
This is a reference to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established by the UN as the core roadmap for poorer nations to achieve benchmarks in a wide range of social and economic areas. It was intended that by 2015 all nations would have achieved their “goals”.
There has been some criticism that the original MDG concept was driven by unrealistic expectations and did not to take into account the views of the most vulnerable countries themselves. This event provides the opportunity for Pacific voices to be heard on the post-2015 development agenda and to contribute to a new “Dili consensus”.
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In spite of aftershocks that damaged an important wharf, Solomon Islands has begun the recovery from the tsunami that damaged hundreds of homes and killed as many as 10 in the Santa Cruz islands. Australian foreign minister Bob Carr diverted his Pacific tour to visit with Solomon Islands prime minister Darcy Lilo. Disaster management officials and scientists remain vigilant following reports of steam rising from the ground on one of the islands and continued ‘unusual seismic activity.’
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This week on Pacific Politics: PiPPtalks - MSG Secretariat Director General Peter Forau discusses the organisation's identity and purpose; Dan McGarry looks at the West Papuan independence movement's long road to freedom; a photo essay on the MSG's Eminent Persons Group and much more....
PiPP is pleased to present its latest tool in understanding the state of mobile phone and internet use in Vanuatu. This infographic encapsulates the key findings from our 2011 study of social and economic effects of telecoms in Vanuatu. Please contact us for a printed copy or click here for the downloadable graphic.
