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Solomon Islands Review That Actions of a Dictatorial Government 528 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) -rpc/81-regional-resettlement-arrangement mon Islands Police Force (rsipf). It .html [accessed 16 Feb 2015] was also an election after civil society PNG Post-Courier. Daily. Port Moresby. organizations aired frustrations with http://www.postcourier.com.pg a Parliament that had legitimated the channeling of state resources into the PNG Post-Courier. 2014. Polye Appointed hands of legislators who were alleg- New PNG Opposition Leader. 3 Decem- ber. http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/ edly not very prudent in their decision pireport/2014/December/12-03-13.htm making. Moreover, the election was [accessed 16 Feb 2015] the first to be conducted after new legislation on political parties’ integ- Radio Australia. 2013. Papua New Guinea rity was passed and implemented, Lawyer Paul Paraka Charged over $30 Million in Fraudulent Payments. 24 Octo- and it offers an opportunity to assess ber. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/ the impacts and effectiveness of that international/2013-10-24/papua-new legislation. The election also offers -guinea-lawyer-paul-paraka-charged-over the chance to comment on political -30-million-in-fraudulent-payments/ stability and gender equality ideals in 1209478 [accessed 16 Feb 2015] the country. Finally, the review should Walton, Grant. 2014. PNG Anti-Corrup- enable us to assess what the future tion Agencies Show Their Teeth. DevPoli- holds for the newly elected Demo- cyBlog, 4 April. http://devpolicy.org/png cratic Coalition for Change (dcc) -anti-corruption-agencies-show-their-teeth Government. -20140404/ [accessed 21 March 2015] I highlighted in the conclusion to Yalo, Nemo. 2014. Commentary: the 2013 Solomon Islands review that Actions of a Dictatorial Government. there was anxiety and uncertainty The National, 15 May. over what 2014 had in store for the country (Nanau 2014). Certain events made 2014 seem like business as usual. Throughout the year, tertiary Solomon Islands students from regional universities Solomon Islands sailed through and local institutions continued to another turbulent and attention-grab- suffer from delayed allowances and bing year in 2014. Natural disasters stipends. At the University of the struck the country, arson and looting South Pacific and other Fiji-based marred efforts to national unity, and a tertiary institutions, students contin- new government was formed. Notable ued to be distressed by serious delays events on which this review focuses in their monthly stipends throughout are those leading up to and following the year (SSN 2014e). The same can be the national general election. Indeed, said for those studying in Papua New this was a critical general election for Guinea’s tertiary institutions as well as a variety of reasons. It was the first in the country’s own local university, election after the Regional Assistance the Solomon Islands National Uni- Mission to Solomon Islands (ramsi) versity (SSN 2014d). These students’ announced the commencement of its concerns highlight the fact that the transition and gradual handover of government failed to work within policing control to the Royal Solo- budgetary provisions earmarked for political reviews • melanesia 529 tertiary training. Part of the explana- lion was distributed to members of tion may be attributed to political Parliament to assist their constituents, interference by members of Parliament despite the fact that only parts of the and public officers in the selection country were devastated and in dire and awarding of scholarships. It was need of rehabilitation (One Solomon recently reported that two officers Islands dollar [si$] was equivalent of the National Training Unit (ntu) to approximately us$.13 in 2014.). were suspended for giving awards A Solomon Islander academic, Dr to a group of students outside of the Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka, noted National Training Council’s approved that “the Cabinet’s recent approval list (SSN 2015a). to release a total of 15 million to the Another set of practices that seemed 50 mps is fishy” (sibc Online 2014c). to continue in 2014 was that of the Difficulties faced in the evacuation looting and burning of businesses and centers and the lack of clear messages private properties. In the aftermath of coming from responsible authori- the devastating flash floods that struck ties regarding rehabilitation and Honiara and parts of north Guadal- resettlement led to uneasiness among canal in April 2014, 21 people died the displaced Honiara population. and 30 went unaccounted for; about A number of them refused to leave 52,000 people were displaced and the evacuation centers unless they moved to shelters (Business Advantage were assured of where they would PNG 2014; SSN 2014b). They were the be resettled or what rehabilitation first-ever flash floods that destroyed support they would receive. After homes, businesses, and buildings along weeks of confusion and frustration, the Mataniko River. In response to looters and arsonists destroyed a this, humanitarian support came in shop and a football academy build- both locally and internationally. The ing in the eastern end of Honiara in various embassies and international the King George VI school area on organizations such as the Australian 16 May 2014 (abc News 2014a). and New Zealand governments, Fiji, The Solomon Islands Police Force, Papua New Guinea, Red Cross Inter- with the assistance of ramsi, man- national, and Solomon Islands com- aged to quell the unrest after a night munities residing abroad, especially of standoffs and criminal activities. In student communities, responded in the process, the national government cash and kind. The Asian Develop- was tight-lipped and failed miserably ment Bank (adb), for instance, to communicate with its citizens, thus gave us$200,000 toward the relief enabling mob activity (sibc Online effort (SSN 2014b). Locally, church 2014d). The looting and the partial organizations, the Forum Solomon burning and break-in at the football Islands International, the National academy contributed to the defeat of Disaster Council, and individual the country’s under-19 soccer team families contributed to alleviate the that competed in Fiji a few days hardships faced by citizens who lost later. For a soccer-crazy country like their homes and/or members of their Solomon Islands, this loss meant that families. A controversial si$15 mil- both national pride and the hopes of 530 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) participating in the World Cup finals were established and eligible voters were shattered (SSN, 18 May 2014). traveled to these registration booths to These events and other negative devel- register their names, have their photos opments seemed to continue unabated, taken, and be issued voter identifica- as similar activities had occurred in tion cards (siec 2014). The hope was 2013, making citizens anxious and that on Election Day voters would use uncertain about the country’s future. the identification cards to cast their The nationwide disapproval of the ballots. Darcy Lilo–led National Coalition The new system proved to be very for Reform and Advancement (ncra) effective in removing ghost voters government just before the 2014 elec- and people voting in more than one tions may be attributed to its lack of constituency. It was alleged that in initiative in addressing these and other the past, individuals could vote in a chronic national issues. Nevertheless, particular constituency in the morn- since there were also preparations ing and again in another constituency for a national general election taking in the afternoon. There was no way place that year, hopes were pinned of cross-checking and eliminating on the opportunities that may come registered voters from double regis- with the election into office of a new tration or, thus, double voting. The government. biometric registration removed a total By mid-March, the registration of of six thousand multiple registrations voters was already underway. In an and ghost names from the list (SSN effort to close the loopholes in the 2014a). Unfortunately, there were national registered voters list and certain concerns with the new system. taking into consideration experiences The first was the difficulty for voters, of past elections, the Solomon Islands especially the disabled and elderly, in Electoral Commission introduced traveling to registration centers to be changes to the voter registration registered. The previous system was process. One of the major changes easier because registration officers was the introduction of biometric actually moved from house to house voter registration. This was adapted to do the registration, thereby accom- from the voter registration process modating the elderly and disabled. used in Fiji in its first democratic elec- The second and more serious con- tions after the 2006 coup. The same cern was the practice wherein vot- Canadian company, Electoral Services ers allegedly sold their identification International, that provided techni- (id) cards to would-be candidates or cal expertise to the 2014 Fiji elections sitting members of Parliament. For also provided Solomon Islands with instance, there were allegations that this new biometric voter registra- certain individuals sold their voter id tion process. This was a change from cards to the member for Honiara for the previous practice in which voter cash returns (SSN 2014c). The inten- registrars moved from village to tion was that the candidate or member village in each constituency to person- would keep the cards and on Election ally register eligible voters. Under the Day return the cards to the owner, new system, voter registration centers who would then cast a ballot in favor political reviews • melanesia 531 of the candidate who gave money. it a total failure when implemented. It These allegations, however, were was originally a move to ensure that difficult to prove. Moreover, if it did elections are credible, free, and fair. happen, whether those whose cards Solomon Islanders have long called were purchased actually voted for the for this and were excited when it was “purchaser” is difficult to ascertain.
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