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Parliament gets back to business in Solomons
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Posted on Nov 22 2000
Honiara (Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation/PINA Nius Online) – The Solomon Islands parliament will resume sitting on Thursday next week, November 30.
According to an advisory sent to members, they should be in Honiara before the House resumes.
Deputy clerk to Parliament Selwyn Miduku says one of the urgent matters that needs to be legislated is the amnesty, as contained in the Townsville Peace Agreement.
He adds it is highly likely that a Supplementary Appropriation Bill would be debated in the meeting.
Mr. Miduku says the Budget meeting is expected to be convened in the first quarter of 2001.
The upcoming parliament meeting will be the first after the election of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in July this year. This followed the takeover of Honiara by the joint Malaita Eagle Force/police paramilitary elements operation.
Meanwhile, investigators from the police and fire service began investigations into the fire that gutted the former Guadalcanal Provincial Headquarters building in central Honiara.
Commissioner of Police Morten Sireheti urges the public to help the investigators.
Mr. Sireheti alleged that a young person was seen playing with matches near the building, just before the fire started.
Mr. Sireheti praised the action of the fires service and Shell depot safety staff, saying without their quick and efficient response the fire could have spread to the nearby fuel storage tanks.
The leadership of the former Malaita Eagle Force expressed grave concern.
Speaking to SIBC News, Alex Bartlett said if the fire was the work of arsonists it must be condemned at the highest level.
He said every law abiding citizen of Honiara must work with the police to apprehend the culprits.
Mr. Bartlett said such criminal activities must be discouraged at all costs, especially at this time of the peace process.
