Briefs
Government
Region
Six Pacific countries are to receive about 16 million Euros to expand a variety of renewable energy sources to generate power for their people. European Union officials recently met with Island leaders to plan renewable energy development cooperation intended to lower energy costs and reduce the islands’ dependence on imported diesel fuel used for electricity. The European Commission’s Pacific delegation head, Frans Baan, led discussions on cooperation on new EU-funded projects in five countries: Federated States of Micronesia (4.08 million Euros), Marshall Islands (2.3 million Euros), Nauru (1.53 million Euros), Niue (1.8 million Euros), and Palau (1.7 million Euros). The EU is already funding a solar power project in Kiribati (4 million Euros).
—PINA
The European Union Center for the Development of Enterprise in Brussels is investigating restrictions imposed on the use of kava in herbal medicines and food supplements in Europe. It comes amidst increasing suspicions that international pharmaceutical interests might be behind the attack on kava remedies because of the impact on sales of their own products. Claims circulated in Europe that kava-based products caused liver damage devastated the once thriving kava export industries of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Negative publicity cost the Pacific Islands countries their once thriving export business. Rural communities that rely on growing kava for a livelihood have been hit even further by a drop in domestic prices. This was caused by the glut in supply caused by growers and suppliers trying to sell kava they would normally have exported. In response to Pacific Islands anger that the claims are not true, the Center for the Development of Enterprise has commissioned an investigation.
—PINA
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French Polynesia
Disagreements between the government of French Polynesia and the French construction firm engaged to build a new hospital for the territory appear to have been resolved. Earlier, work on the $300 million hospital had ceased because of proposed changes to the original plans and a consequent cost blow-out, prompting the firm to announce a stop to the project, with the possible loss of at least 300 local jobs, and a threat to bring in foreign workers. However, Territorial President Gaston Flosse announced that a new deal had been reached, which meant there would be no lay-offs. Two days before Flosse’s announcement, the French Government signed a new financial agreement with the territorial government, under which French Polynesia will receive $150 million annually.
—ND
Palau
Palau Community College and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a Bio-terrorism Preparedness Developmental Workshop in Palau from October 21 to November 1. Attended by participants from the United States and across the Pacific region, including government officials from Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, the workshop aimed to help Pacific islands improve their ability to respond to bio-terrorist attacks and also focused more broadly on the region’s emergency medical services and disaster management capacity. Dr. Mark Keim and four colleagues from the CDC’s Pacific Emergency Health Initiative led part of the program, which involved a closed session for Pacific island bio-terrorism and coordinators.
—RS
The war of words continue to rage between Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. and the country’s legislature (the OEK). After the OEK overrode Remengesau’s veto of its budget for the 2003 fiscal year at the end of September, Remengesau charged the lawmakers with “political gamesmanship” and warned that “the people of Palau will be watching to see whether the leaders they elected can be trusted to fulfill the promises they make.” Mario S. Gulibert, Speaker of the Palau House of Delegates, asserted that Remengesau’s statements were “incredibly insulting to each and every member of the OEK,” and that the override was in fact due to the president’s “lack of cooperation” and delays caused by the timing of the president’s submission of his budget to the legislature. The OEK then proceeded to reject Remengesau’s nomination of Masao Ueda as Palau’s Ambassador to Japan.
—RS
Marshall Islands
Transition to new management at America’s missile defense testing headquarters in the Marshall Islands was temporarily put on hold following protests of the Army’s choice of a joint Bechtel/Lockheed company as the new contractor. The freeze on transition was ended after two weeks, and the new company allowed to get on with its work in line with taking over management of the Kwajalein missile range in January from Raytheon. Marshall Islanders are enthusiastic about the new contractor. The missile range, about 4,200 miles southwest of California, is the primary test site for long-range offensive missiles and missile defense. The new, 15-year contract is potentially worth $3 billion. U.S. Army ombudsman Noda Lojkar, a Marshall Islander, said that Marshall Islanders are very excited by what they see the new company doing to offer new jobs and training opportunities for Marshallese. About 1,400 Marshall Islanders work at the missile range. In October, incumbent contractor Raytheon and the other bidder Northrup Grumman filed separate protests of the bid award to Bechtel/Lockheed.
—GJ
A new Asian Development Bank project aims to improve the status of women in the Marshall Islands through budgeting and policy planning, and is being launched in conjunction with another pilot project in Samoa. Two Australian consultants, Rhonda Sharp and Jan Connolly, led a seminar launched the project at a November seminar that discussed “integrating gender issues into government budgets and policies.” The seminar is one part of a two-country pilot project involving the Marshall Islands and Samoa. Samoa is focusing on a “youth-sensitive approach” to budgeting, while the Marshall Islands is focusing on gender sensitive budget planning.
—GJ
Papua New Guinea
A diplomatic row ignited over the Papua New Guinea government’s decision to send a trade delegation to Taiwan, the PNG Post-Courier reported earlier this month. Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Allan Marat led a four-man delegation. But the possibility that Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare’s son, East Sepik Governor Arthur Somare, was also to travel with the delegation raised concerns from the Chinese Embassy that his participation would led weight to the visit. Papua New Guinea recognizes mainland China diplomatically under its One China policy.
—PINA
Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan is being tipped to be appointed acting Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea in moves to stop the decline of the kina, The National newspaper reported. Talk of the appointment is continuing despite Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare saying there are is no move to replace current Governor Wilson Kamit. A “crisis meeting” to salvage the kina, held at the government offices at Waigani, discussed bringing in Sir Julius, known as the whiz-kid of Waigani during his days as finance minister. The kina crashed to its lowest levels at the end of October.
—PINA
Fiji
A panel of judges found 15 officers and soldiers from Fiji’s former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit guilty of mutiny during events following the May 2000 coup crisis. The early November verdict comes two years after a bloody clash at Suva’s main Queen Elizabeth Barracks, where the mutiny was put down by loyalist troops. The trial lasted more than a year. The judges also found one mutineer, Sergeant Jone Naisara, not guilty of the murder of a loyalist soldier.
—PINA
Some illegal Asian immigrants in Fiji have married locals to gain citizenship, according to an investigation into the growing number of Asians in the country amidst concerns of illegal dealings, the Fiji Sun reported. “We are certainly concerned with the increase of illegal activities related to Asians and are doing our best with limited resources to assist immigration officials,” said Criminal Investigation Department Director Emosi Vunisahe Vunisa. Immigration Department director Navendra Prasad said most illegal immigrants enter with work or visitors’ permits but don’t leave when their visas expire. The report also confirmed that there is an increasing level of illegal activities—gambling, drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering and other forms of organized crime—associated with a network of Asian illegal immigrants.
—PINA
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia’s Federated Development Authority —comprised of the president and four governors—has called for the immediate removal of the nation’s investments and assets from Pacific Century Financial Corporation, the parent company of Bank of Hawaii. Following a recent meeting in Pohnpei, the FDA urged the leadership to expedite the process to removing PFCF from its role as financial manager of the FSM’s trust fund assets and the various government investments. The executive body’s decision was prompted by the shutdown of the three Bank of Hawaii’s branches in the FSM at the end of November. The FSM earlier this year criticized what it described as the callous manner in which the Bank announced in early February its intentions to “divest its operations” in the FSM and the Marshalls. President Leo A. Falcam wrote Michael O’Neill, the bank’s chairman and chief executive officer, that there was no prior notice or discussion of the underlying issues and alternatives that may exist.
—GJ
Kiribati
Kiribati’s fiercest national election campaign is reported to be leading to extraordinary pressures on journalists at the national radio station, Radio Kiribati. Although the radio station and its staff are reluctant to comment, it is understood that journalists are facing questions from President Teburoro Tiito’s government over reporting of Opposition allegations that the Chinese Embassy is helping government candidates. Despite this reporting, the Opposition is claiming Radio Kiribati is not carrying news about Opposition candidates. The national election is November 29. A Radio Kiribati journalist was temporarily suspended after reporting about the problems the government was having getting certification for its ATR-72 plane. It is understood the government was angered over Radio Kiribati’s reporting of Opposition leader Harry Tong’s claims the Chinese embassy is helping some government ministers. The Chinese Embassy has strongly denied any interference in the elections and said grants it is giving at the moment were applied for long ago.
—PINA
