Government Briefs
Government Briefs
July 2005
| Region Indonesia's
Ambassador to Vanuatu says his country should be a member of the Melanesian Spearhead
Group. Imron Cotanhas says Indonesia has a larger Melanesian population than all
of the Pacific Island countries combined. And Cotanhas says only 10 percent of
the Indonesian Melanesians live in Papua. Fiji and Papua New
Guinea risked a backlash from China after voicing support for a bid by Taiwan
to become an observer of the World Health Organization. The two countries, which
both recognize China rather than Taiwan, joined Taiwanese allies Palau, Tuvalu,
Solomon Islands, Nauru and the Marshall Islands in supporting the motion, but
the World Health Assembly's General Committee decided not to include discussion
of Taiwan's application on its agenda this year. Tuvalu In
a meeting with Prime Minister Maatia Toafa of Tuvalu, Taiwan's President Chen
Shui-bian offered help to develop Tuvalu's fishery resources. Chen also said during
the meeting in Taipei that the government hoped to increase the number of scholarships
open to students from Tuvalu to five next year, from two last year. Chen visited
Tuvalu earlier in May, the first Taiwanese president to do so. Samoa Prime
Minister Tuilaepa S. Malilegaoi visited China in May as guest of the Chinese government
to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Samoa and China. The Samoan
prime minister visited Beijing and Shanghai and a number of China's provinces.
The two countries signed a number of cooperation agreements. China is a major
aid donor to Samoa and is currently involved in the construction of facilities
for Samoa to host the 2007 South Pacific Games. Guam The
U.S. military released on May 13 the long-awaited Base Realignment and Closure
recommendations. Guam's bases were the subject of one recommendation: That Andersen
Air Force Base's installation management functions are placed under the Commander
Naval Forces Marianas. The management functions will be consolidated to reduce
the number of people performing similar works, affecting about 95 military and
civilian jobs. The Air Force announced its intention to prepare an environmental
impact statement concerning the basing of a global strike task force on Guam.
The move is only a preliminary study and no decision has been made, officials
said. If implemented, a strike force could entail stationing as many as 2,400
additional personnel in Guam. Papua New Guinea The Japanese
and Papua New Guinea governments have exchanged diplomatic notes to access K26.09
million (US$8 million) of a Japanese government grant to rehabilitate bridges
on PNG's economically important Highlands Highway. The grant was approved by the
Japanese government in April last year to fund the construction, rehabilitation
and maintenance of about 12 bridges on the highway, which is the only road link
to the coffee-rich five Highlands provinces. CNMI Criminal
charges against former Rep. Stanley Torres were dismissed by the Attorney General's
office without explanation from both parties on May 4. Judge Juan T. Lizama dismissed
all 20 charges against Torres and 30 charges against his former employee, Dorothy
Sablan. Torres' attorney, Robert T. Torres, had earlier successfully argued that
the Public Auditor's investigators raided his client's office without a search
warrant. Shortly thereafter an out-of-court settlement was reached between the
two parties and following a brief court appearance, the charges were dismissed.
Torres and deputy attorney general Clyde Lemons declined public comment. Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza has urged
the South Pacific Games Council to support his country's bid to host the 2011
South Pacific Games. Kemakeza said the Council could bestow "no greater gift of
peace" upon the Solomon Islands as it continues efforts to rebuild the nation
and recover from recent years of conflict. The host of the 2011 Games will be
announced during the South Pacific Games in Palau in July. The
Solomon Islands Government approved emergency funding of SI$500,000 (almost US$90,000)
to send emergency food supplies to the remote Reef Islands in Temotu Province
to alleviate reported food shortages. National Disaster Management Office director
Loti Yates says more than 44 tons of rice will be sent to the islands to supplement
dwindling food reserves. Yates said several parts of the country had recently
experienced lower than normal harvests due to unusual weather patterns and heavy
rains. Yates brushed aside a call from Australian Shadow Minister for Pacific
Islands Bob Sercombe that Australia must step in to provide emergency assistance
to avert a human tragedy. "Australia is already pouring in huge assistance to
this country and in smaller issues such as this I would prefer the Solomon Islands
government to take care of their own where they can," Yates said. American Samoa Two companies have submitted proposals for building apartment-like
rooms at the government owned Rainmaker Hotel in American Samoa. Governor Togiola
Tulafono says one proposal is from a Japanese company looking at building 70-to-80
rooms with a bedroom and kitchen area. He said little can be done to move the
government's plans for the Rainmaker Hotel along, because a measure seeking $1.1
million submitted to the Fono (legislature) to bail out the financially troubled
hotel was rejected by the Senate. A high court jury in American
Samoa has acquitted former school lunch program manager Toetu Solaita of embezzlement
after deliberating for less than 45 minutes following a two-day trial. Solaita,
however, pled guilty last year to similar charges at the federal court in Honolulu
and is set for sentencing October 6th. Cook Islands Donor-funded
projects that have not been completed in the far-flung northern group island of
Manihiki have been audited by the Cook Islands Audit Office. Most projects were
funded by the New Zealand government under its NZAID program. Manihiki's Member
of Parliament Henry Puna welcomes the audit, saying it will maintain the integrity
of his constituency with donor agencies. Puna replaced former Prime Minister Dr.
Robert Woonton who is currently the Cook Islands' high commissioner to New Zealand. |
