WE ‘LL FORM GOV'T: WALE

 Hon. Matthew Wale.( Pic: supplied)

By Andrew Fanasia Jr

As lobbying to form the next government is continuing in Honiara, a group comprising of members of the CNURA coalition partners are claiming that they are confident of forming the next Government.

A spokesman for the group, Caretaker Education Minister Mathew Wale (Aoke/Langa Langa) told a press conference at the Heritage Park Hotel yesterday afternoon that while negotiations were continuing with individual MPs and individual groups they were confident of mastering thirty (30) MPS to form the next Government.

Mr. Wale said that the group consisted of:-
• Fourteen (14) MPs from the SI Democratic Party (SIDP);
• Six (6) independents;
• Three (3) National Party;
• Three (3) SI Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA);
• Two (2) Liberal; and
• Two (2) from the Peoples’ Congress Party.

“On these numbers we had a clear count of 30, and we have spoken to all returning MPs and confident we have the number to form the new coalition government,” Mr. Wale affirmed yesterday.

He said that in the case of SIPRA its members are in the process of formalizing its involvement with the group.

Mr. Wale said that they also claim the allegiance of some of the MPs who are still to arrive in Honiara including Sam Manetoali (Gao/Bugotu), Seth Gukuna (Rennell and Bellona), Clay Forau (Vatud), Peter Tom (West Kwaio), Stanley Sofu (East Kwaio), and Alfred Ghiro.

He said that while he made that claim on behalf of their group they are not in camp because they reject the notion of lobbying and haggling of MPs prior to the election of the Prime Minister because it was not good for the country.

“There is a general consensus in the group of forming a responsible and sensible government and leadership is about firm commitment to the formation of good, responsible, and sensible government,” Mr. Wale said.

He then described the mood in the group as being quite and confident acceptance of the outcome of the general elections and a rejection of lobbying and haggling in the process prior to the election of the Prime Minister.

On the question of the group’s possible candidate for the election of Prime Minister Mr. Wale said that it would be decided through an internal party room elimination process which all party leaders or party candidates would participate.

He said that before the elimination process began there would be an MOU signed by all parties committing themselves to the outcome of the process but added that “no matter what agreement you have it will be as good as those that signed it.”

The second process he said would be to harmonize the policies of the different groups to form a common manifesto for the new coalition government a name for which would be determined during the formation process.