Government Briefs

French Polynesia

The French Polynesia Finance Ministry is seeking bids for a full audit of government spending from January 1, 1999 through June 30, 2004, according to Tahitipresse. The audit is being organized by the government of President Oscar Temaru. A Finance official said the audit "must be conducted in such a way as to measure the financial risks incurred according to financial commitments made by the previous majority"-a reference to the previous government led by Gaston Flosse.

-GJ

Palau

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges' Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has accredited Palau Community College (PCC) for another six years. "It is big news for us," says PCC President Patrick Tellei. "This comes at a time where many colleges were turned down." In recent years a number of schools in Micronesia and the Marianas have been on various forms of warning. Pacific Magazine Publisher Floyd K. Takeuchi serves on the ACCJC as a commissioner.

-NC

Fiji

Suva High Court judge Nazhat Shameem sentenced Fiji's Vice President Ratu Jope Seniloli to four years in jail following his conviction in July of taking an illegal oath when he was sworn in as president during the 2000 coup. Four other men who were also sworn in as government ministers were sentenced to various jail terms, including Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure, Ratu Viliame Volavola, Peceli Rinakama, and Viliame Savu. Defense lawyers asked for suspended jail sentences, but Justice Shameem said the offenses were serious and a suspended sentence was not appropriate. The five are appealing the jail sentences that range from one to six years.

-GJ

Solomon Islands

Thirty young Solomon Islanders have been recruited by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in the first intake since the purging of the RSIP under the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The new recruits are seen as a much-needed fresh start for RSIP, which was greatly tarnished when senior elements joined forces with armed militants to carry out a coup in 2000. More than 400 RSIP members were purged in the past year, including more than 70 now facing criminal charges.

-MLC

In the first signs of strain between the regional intervention force and Solomon Island authorities, the Solomons' governor general refused to swear-in Australian Federal Police's assistant commissioner Sandi Peisley, who took command of the intervention's police contingent in August. New elected Governor General Nathaniel Weana refused for two days to carry out Peisley's largely ceremonial swearing-in citing first protocol concerns and then constitutional implications. Peisley, who had already been correctly appointed by the Solomon Islands Police and Prison Service Commission, was eventually sworn-in by police commissioner William Morrell.

-MLC

FSM

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Chuuk Governor Ansito Walter and Chief Executive Officer of the Chuuk Public Utility Corporation Mani Mori in an effort to end the power crisis that has plagued the island this year. Responding to recent revolts from the local business community-which threatened to stop paying taxes-and from irate citizens over what has been dubbed outright government waste and malfeasance, Walter agreed to pay $500,000 of the $1 million owed by the government to CPUC.

-OW

Guam

A 12-person jury found former Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez and two former Cabinet officials not guilty of all charges of financial impropriety that they were accused of. The charges alleged that they used government resources to build the two-term governor's private ranch. The jurors unanimously voted to acquit Gutierrez, former chief of staff Gil A. Shinohara and former Guam International Airport Authority executive manager Gerald P. Yingling.

-GJ

Papua New Guinea

The Papua New Guinea government should provide experts to help landowners negotiate better deals for themselves with businesses intent on extracting their resources, a university academic says. University of Papua New Guinea Professor Albert Mellam says PNG landowners, who are often uneducated or illiterate, lack expertise to negotiate for more benefits from businesses resulting in problems such as the country's 10-year civil war on Bougainville Island.

-AR

The governments of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have signed two treaties. One relates to their common border and authorizes a joint border committee, liaison, traditional border crossing, natural disaster search and rescue, development of major resources and protection of environment and natural resources. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza and his PNG counterpart Sir Michael Somare praised both agreements saying it affirmed their countries' relations and common values.

-AR

CNMI

President George Bush in July declared the Northern Marianas a disaster area paving the way for disaster-related funds to be made available a month after Typhoon Tingting caused major damage on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Governor Juan N. Babauta had submitted to the federal government a $2.53 million bill in disaster-related costs.

-FR

The deployment of more than 70 U.S. Army Reserves to Iraq and Afghanistan from the Northern Marianas created a huge manpower shortfall in the Department of Public Safety and the fire division. The administration quickly came up with a contingency plan to fill the vacancies created by the deployment of local residents who are members of the Army Reserve. The most affected department is public safety, which announced the immediate hiring of 30 police officers.

-FR

Samoa

Government has tightened control over the number of foreigners granted permanent residence status in Samoa by establishing an annual quota of 10 starting this year. "This is the first time that the government of Samoa has established a permanent resident program," Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi announced. Two permits are reserved for applicants from overseas to boost government's attempt to attract new business and investment.

-FS

Polynesian Airlines will add a 37-seater aircraft to its fleet in October and plans to expand services from Pago Pago to Vava'u, Tonga and Auckland, New Zealand. Polynesian is the only carrier flying between the two Samoas. The carrier between September and mid-November, 2003 and then again since April, 2004 has been operating the territory's domestic flights utilizing two 18-passenger Twin Otter planes.

-FS

Nauru

Nauru has accepted the posting of Australian Treasury official Peter Depta to head the country's department of finance as part of the latest assistance package offered by Canberra in return for hosting one of Australia's detention centers for unwanted asylum seekers. Depta and two other Australian finance officials have the job of sorting out the actual state of Nauru's finances.

-MLC

Contributors: Nancy Chism, Olivier Wortel, Giff Johnson, Matelita Ragogo, Frank Whitman, Alex Rheeney, Frank Rosario, Fili Sagapolutele and Mary-Louise O'Callaghan.