NCRA IS BACK

Editor's Desk

The National Coalition for Reform and Advancement [NCRA] Government is back, strong, consolidated and focused, Prime Minister Hon Danny Philip said today.

Prime Minister Philip was speaking to members of the media following a brief reconciliation ceremony in Honiara this afternoon.

In the ceremony, stringed shell money was exchanged between the former minister for Forest and Research and MP for West Guadalcanal, Hon Bodo Dettke MP and Prime Minister Philip, in front of other Cabinet Ministers and Government Backbench.

The Chairman of Government Caucus Hon Martin Magga MP and his Deputy and MP for West Honiara Hon Namson Tran both contributed a tafuliae [stringed shell money] each on behalf of Caucus.

Twenty Government Ministers as well as Backbench MPs were in attendance.

“The ceremony this afternoon shows that the National Coalition for Reform and Advancement [NCRA] Government is back, strong, consolidated and focused,” Prime Minister Philip said.

“It shows we have customs and tradition that are just as effective in settling differences,” he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Philip told the ceremony that “coming back together is not a sign of weakness.”

“It is a sign of strength,” he said.

He thanked each of his Ministers who were ready and willing to work through the difficulties as they did in the last few days.

“It’s impacted on all of us, but we’ve come out of it. I want to thank each one of you,” he said, naming each of the Ministers who went out of their way to ensure the NCRA government remained intact.

He and Hon Dettke also apologized to each other. Other Ministers emphasized the significance of the reconciliation through the exchange of shell money.