Democracy & Governance
in the Pacific Islands
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🌸 Pacific Women to Watch
FEMALE victims of sexual violence should not be kept in the police sexual violence office in Daru but the family sexual violence office for their safety, a police official says. Assistant Commissioner of Police – Border Command – Peter Philip said: “No female victims of family and sexual violence (FSV) should be kept in the police offices as this is unprofessional.” Philip said he had received reports of policemen asking female victims for sexual favours and that was against the general conduct of police officers.
🌏 International and Regional
The European Commission has proposed suspending a visa-free travel arrangement with Vanuatu due to concerns about the Pacific nation’s controversial “golden passports” scheme. The proposed suspension, which still needs to be voted on by EU states, would prevent all holders of passports issued as of 25 May 2015 – when Vanuatu started issuing a substantial number of passports in exchange for investment – from travelling to the EU without a visa. The citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programme allow foreign nationals to purchase Vanuatu citizenship for US$130,000 in a process that typically takes just over a month, without ever setting foot in the country.
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Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is recovering from cardiovascular surgery in Melbourne, Australia and is not expected back at work until the end of February. During a late night national address, Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum ended weeks of speculation by confirming both he and Bainimarama were abroad for scheduled medical reviews.
A war of words has broken out between the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) and the Electoral Commission over the current status of the commission. The commission yesterday rejected FLP claims that since the resignation of Suva lawyer Suresh Chandra as its chairman the commission was not “in place”, saying that it was operating without him. Replying, FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry claimed that under the Constitution the commission was not legally constituted without a chair.
🇲🇭 Marshall Islands
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
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IT is expected that around six million eligible voters will take part in this year’s general election, with an updated common roll to be completed next month, says Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai. It includes around 750,000 new voters who have just turned 18. In 2017 when the general election was held, there were 5,062,298 registered voters.
MADANG Governor Peter Yama says most of the Members of Parliament (MPs) are based in Port Moresby and many find it difficult to locate them for service. “I think I am the only one who spends much time in the province, unlike the other Open MPs from Madang, Sumkar, Bogia, Usino-Bundi, Middle Ramu and Rai Coast,” he said. “They should come and work with me instead of isolating themselves from me.
🇼🇸 Samoa
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The Samoa cabinet is considering a request from the Ministry of Health for the former prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, to be medivaced to New Zealand. Last Thursday the 76-year-old was admitted to Intensive Care at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital and released on Tuesday. Radio Polynesia reported Tuilaepa had a high fever. Parliament resumed this week but Tuilaepa, who became the opposition leader following last year's acrimonious election, has not taken his seat.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment has dismissed claims that the percentage of customary land in Samoa has decreased drastically over the years. The claim was made by the M.P. for Aleipata Itupa-Lalo, Faleomavaega Titimaea Tafua in the parliament this week.
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Honiara Emergency Zone will be in lockdown for 60 hours effective 6pm this evening to 6am Saturday 22 January 2022. At its meeting, Cabinet has endorsed the lock down after an urgent Special National Address by Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare this morning confirming COVID 19 community transmission in Honiara. The lockdown comes with restriction of movements of persons as ordered by Prime Minister under Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (Honiara Emergency Zone) (Restriction of Movement of Persons) Order 2022.
THE Leader of Opposition Hon. Matthew Wale has thanked the People’s Republic of China and [Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation] for employing and training locals under the National Stadium Project. This was in response to His Excellency Ambassador Li Ming’s statement on the progress of the National Stadium Project for next year’s Pacific Games. According to Ambassador Ming, the project is now employing 370 locals with the intention of also absorbing students and new graduates.
TWO teenage boys have denied setting fire to the leaf hut next to the National Parliament building during the unrest in November last year. The 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys are charged with arson but pleaded not guilty to the charge on Friday last week. Having heard their not guilty plea, Chief Magistrate Emma Garo adjourned their case for a pre-trial conference to be heard in the magistrate’s court today. The court heard that on 24th November 2021, the two boys were part of a group of people who entered the National Parliament area.
🇹🇴 Tonga
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The US Embassy chargé d’affaires Tony Greubel yesterday announced the approval of $212,365 in immediate assistance to support people affected by volcanic eruptions and tsunami waves in Tonga. In a statement, the US Embassy said the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance was working to address emergency shelter needs and was providing safe drinking water, hygiene kits, and other necessities to help Tongans affected by the eruptions and tsunami.
The Tongan government has confirmed that all houses on the island of Mango were wiped out in the tsunami that followed Saturday's volcanic eruption. It confirmed that three people are now known to have died: a 65-year-old woman in Mango and a 49-year-old man in Nomuka, both in the outlying Ha'apai island group; as well as British national Angela Glover in Tongatapu.
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"There is really not much we can say until the ship pulls the cable up so it can be multiple breaks on the segment to Fiji. They are bringing a spare repeater (equipment) just in case the repeater is at fault as well. So far, the tests they run indicate the faults that we are reporting now. But there can be other faults on the line when they do the actual connectivity. They would normally run tests from both ends so the guys from Fintel (Fiji) did that and it is called a bi-directional assessment and that will somehow determine whether there is cut to the cable."
Tonga Cable Limited chairperson Samuiela Fonua
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Vanuatu’s Director of Biosecurity, Meriam Toalak, who is from Malekula has welcomed the establishment of the first ever Biosecurity Office in MALAMPA Province. The office is located on the road opposite Wilkin’s Stadium at Lakatoro, Malekula and it was opened last Friday. Since Malekula as a port of entry, including Wala (now under lockdown due to COVID-19) has proved itself a prominent producer and exporter of cocoa and copra and root crops, this is a new dawn for her staff who can be based at Lakatoro.
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