Unless Danny Philip was picked up from the roadside for the job, he should show some decency by explaining to the agitated public the reasons behind this controversial award. He just cannot hide in his cave after making a major decision that touches on public finances." (Sol.star.com)
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First of all, let me congratulate the Solomon Star editor (or whoever wrote the editorial a few days ago challenging the PEC Chairman) and the people of Solomon Islands for flashing Mr. Danny Philip out of his hiding den. This is where leadership and courage need to take the lead. Solomon Islands leaders and ordinary people have been expressing their disgust over the PEC's proposal to pay spouses of Members of Parliament, $50,000 each ($25,000,000 in all). In his statement, since speaking out publicly about the PEC's proposal for the first time, Mr. Philip exposed a carefully crafted plan by this government and MPs on the other side, to help themselves with the nation's fund by utilizing the entitlement Act in such as way that the MPs' spouses are covered by this entitlement.First of all, I want Solomon Islands to look again at the supposed culprits of this futile entitlement and who helped (or lead) the draft. He was non other than the former Prime Minister whose victory in 2006 as the PM resulted in a horrible riot that destroyed three-quarter of Honiara's businesses and asserts, Mr. Snyder Rini. When will Solomon Islands' wake up to their bloody senses before throwing this idiot under the bus? Mr. Rini is, in my opinion, the most corrupt idiot ever served in the Solomon Islands' Parliament. Those who voted for him over and over again should now know that this man is a danger to the country. He bankrupted Solomon Islands Consumer Co-operative Society, blamed of being a puppet of the Chinese agents in Honiara, and now instigating one of the biggest rip-off plan ever drafted to ensure these MPs take home three times or more of what they earn now as Parliamentarians. How long will Solomon Islands go on with these kinds of leaders?
Secondly, our MPs are either oblivious to the fact that they are employees of the people, or just part of being uneducated, semi-educated in the art of Politics. A man who enters Parliament after being elected is an employee of the people-he is sent to the Parliament to "represent them" in the legislative branch so that bills aren't tabled without representation, and acts as the mouthpiece of the ordinary people to the central government. He is there to deliver to the house the wishes of the people in terms of speeches and also to express to the government the desire of the people when issues extremely important to his/her constituency are debated. He does this by casting "his ballot" (according to the wishes of his people) on Bills and issues that are important to his people. In other words, he ought to consult with the people of his constituency. In other words, his involvement or participation in the political process (legislation) must not be predicated upon his personal ambitions and goals, but that of his people. In this and others, the MPs failed to consult their constituents to know whether this PEC proposal is in the best interest of their people. None of the MPs raised his eyebrows over this disgusting attempt to rip the nation off its public funds. They completely forgot what they are there to do exactly that, challenging the status-quo.
In addtion to that, the lack of MPs leadership can be attributed to their educational background and their inability to resist financial temptations often hatched by corrupt leaders and their cohorts in Parliament. In my opinion, our MPs can be categorized into two categories, the educated and experienced and the newcomers or rookies. The higher level of education in this bunch (50 members) is PhD and the least educated of them is a high school graduate. Majority these MPs are in the middle. They are susceptible to being pulled by the hair, the neck, and the nose on issues beyond their knowledge, especially on budget or financial issues. Last year, 50 percent of the incumbents lost their seats as Solomon Islanders became extremely tired of the corruption that felled on their leaders since the fall of Democracy in 2000 up to 2006. Thus, the 50 perecent of the new-comers to Parliament are rookies who don't know the protocols and procedures of government, and who don't know anything about political game. In my view, this is why many MPs tend to follow the crowd since the beginning of this administration. No one had the guts to scream out or accuse the government's of corruption.
Furthemore, the concept of "rising from poverty to being rich" is perhaps the biggest weakness of our leaders. Most of them are willing to take any offer even if it means "giving up" ones good reputation to acquire property, financial benefit, and portfolio. In this case, an MP is completely detached from his people and his ruling and views on political issues, bills, and other things are done on his/her own prerogatives. Which, in many cases, is their downfall when the next round of national election arrives. It surprises me, however, that when this PEC proposal came out, non of the MPs on both camps disagreed or criticized it in the name of transparency and honesty. They all know that their spouses are the recipients of this proposal. They forgot who they represent; their constituents, not only their wives.
Another point worth making is the role the Prime Minister Dr. Derek Sikua is playing in this whole saga. When I read the PEC Chairman's explanation of the Entitlement proposal, the true nature of this man began to unfold before my eyes. Upon realizing the backlash of this PEC proposal, Dr. Sikua announced a "anti-corruption" workshop, which to me was an attempt to save his own government from public criticism. It reminded me the movie, American Gangster. In this movie, actor Denzel Washington plays the leader of an underground drug curtail who lives a double life: a "good citizen who goes to church on Sundays with his mom" and a "man who executes clients in public over business dispute". What is hard for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to understand is that the suspect is a perfect gentleman whose daily routines includes a trip to the office, a day at home, and a trip to church on Sunday. He is what any blackmen would aspire to be, a perfect gentle blackman. Isn't this how the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is? setting up anti-corruption workshop to show the people of SI that he is not corrupt when he himself planted Snyder and other MPs in the PEC to help draft this proposal? The same man who denied ever got drunk when he was stopped by the police and then told the courts that the first place they stopped at on their way out of Honiara was a Bottle Shop, a Solomon Islands' code name for "Beer outlet"?
Earlier this year, he sued a small newspaper for "defamation of character" over a story published by the newspaper of a trip he took to New York, USA. He was supposedly drunk and went to the United Nations General Assembly (if I remember correctly). This is the same man who was accused of extremely drunk during a Parliament Session by members of the Opposition. I don't understand why MPs would want to be around this man when he exhibiting poor leadership and no moral standard.
I urge all Solomon Islands to continue bombarding Solomon Islands newspaper papers and other media against this PEC proposal and attack this government of instigating it. This government is doing everything in its power to pay off its MPs, pleasing them so that they don't jump boats like they did during the Sogavare government. These kinds of tactics have been proven fatal in the past and so our people can't afford to let it happened again. It is our rights as a democratic country that is to challenge the government (this and any other government) on such issues.
__will follow up on this proposal__
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