The Office of the Parliamentary Independent group has rebutted a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) dated Wednesday 20 July, 2016 Solomon Star issue No. 6336, that the Leader of Independent Group Hon. Dr. Derek Sikua was misleading the nation with unapprised statements concerning the DCCG peace building programmes pertaining to TRC recommendations.
What transpired in the OPMC statement is nothing more than a defensive attack to protect the ill advises and inappropriate actions taken by the government.
The independent Group said, the OPMC statement only reflects a group of so called experts that attempted to safe the face of the Prime Minister for all the unpopular decisions made in relation to the issues surrounding the ethnic tension, in particular the TRC recommendations.
“The reparation bill echoed in the PM’s speech during the National healing and Apology programme on 4th July 2016, on face value is good; however it is again putting the cart before the horse.
“As far as the TRC report is concerned, the strings of programmes done so far are merely outside the bounds of the TRC recommendations. For instance, the $3 million payment to MEF in Dec 2015, the $6 million unbudgeted National Healing and Apology programme, and now the DCCG’s intention for a ‘Reparation Bill’; these are just tilted programs to suit the political convenience of the DCCG and not in the true spirit of TRC recommendations.”
The Independent statement stated that according to the TRC Recommendations, the mechanism for implementing the recommendations is a Commission to be created by an Act of Parliament.
“Section 17 (3) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2008 states that the government will appoint a person or a body to keep the government informed of its obligation to implement the recommendations put forward in the Report.
“The commission shall be responsible for development, facilitating, monitoring and acquiring necessary support for the implementation of the recommendations. This proposed body is to be created by a new Act of Parliament and establish in the Office of the Prime Minister.
“Furthermore, the objectives of the Commission are to strengthen the national reconciliation process through the implementation of the recommendations of the TRC such as formulating policies, action plans, and articulate public and private institutions and providing funding.
“So far the so called peace programmes undertaken by this present government were not inclusive, however, rather seems politically driven.
“As such OPMC should stop being defensive against the inappropriate action by the Prime Minister and his government. Perhaps, it should take into consideration the alternative advises provided by this office.
“Therefore, what was implicated by OPMC statement as misleading by the Parliament Independent group holds very little substance.”