THE Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) has ignored its own people when switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China.
Former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and the Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources John Maneniaru revealed this after speaking for first time following his removal from the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) fortnight ago.
He claimed the rushed decision to switch diplomatic ties was not done in the best interest of this country but for certain agents who have infiltrated the politics of Solomon Islands.
Speaking exclusively to the paper yesterday the Member of Parliament for West Are’Are said he was disappointed, yet not surprise following his removal knowing it was coming because he abstained during the vote to switch ties from Taiwan to China on 16th September.
“The sacking was disappointing because I have been faithfully serving DCGA and its policies implementation.
“I’m disappointed because I could no longer help DCGA to work and do business as usual.
“I have also been faithful to the work of progressing fisheries activities nationally and regionally as well as national projects over the last years and months,” he said.
During his term in office he had been making progressing in the development of big projects like Tina Hydro and Bina Harbour.
He also supported Prime Minister Sogavare through changes of government and many trials in the last five years since 2015.
Mr Maneniaru said took him two weeks to come to terms with his sacking and now he came to realise the phenomenon that DCGA is no longer a government for the people of Solomon Islands.
He said in their rush to focus on ‘One China’ policy the government has forgotten ‘One Solomon Islands.’
Mr Maneniaru said the China switch decision has clearly indicated that it was not done in the interest of the people of this country.
“If it was done in the interest of Solomon Islands and the DCGA’s Foreign Policy of ‘Friend to All and Enemy to none,’ it would have been done after the United Nation General Assembly summit and the talk with US Vice President,” he said.
He added if the government cares about its people it would consider the reports from the Ministerial Group to Beijing, the Task Force and the Foreign Relation Committee of Parliament.
“This is to ensure that all the reports can be accorded the opportunity to be assessed, analysed and hence the pros and the cos of the particular policy will be transparently and accountably considered to reflect the statement that no stone will be left unturned.
“Instead the switch was done before all the reports were considered. It was done against the promise made by PM Sogavare.
“It was done against the wishes and desires of the majority of the people of the Solomon Islands and non-doubtfully handful of Caucus members, and also was done against stated Coalition policy,” he said.
He further stated that the China switch was done in the interest of the agents and companies who have corrupted and infiltrated the government and politics of Solomon Islands.
“It is done in the interest of the alien Chinese masters who are taking away our independence day by day,” he said.
The former DPM said he has no difficulty in subscribing to what Rick Hou the former Minister of National Planning and Development Coordination has shared so far on the switch to China.
By FOLLET JOHN
