Provincial premiers have been slow to fulfil the requirements of the Constitution (Amendment) (Constituent Assembly) Act 2023, despite attending the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting in Honiara on 30 December 2024.
The meeting, which included government Members of Parliament and the Leader of the Opposition, came in the wake of the Bill’s defeat in Parliament last December.
That Bill aimed to allow the continuation of the Constituent Assembly’s work into 2025 and beyond. Notably, other Opposition and Independent MPs did not attend the meeting.
Addressing the media on Monday, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele outlined the next steps for progressing the CA’s work.
He highlighted three key deliverables agreed upon during Constituency Assembly meeting in Honiara in December 2024:
1. Appointment and Gazetting of Second Provincial Representatives
All premiers are required to formally submit the names of their second representative to the Constituent Assembly. These names must be gazetted ahead of the next CA sitting.
“We are still waiting for these names,” said PM Manele. “I ask all premiers to please submit the names of your second delegate to the Constituent Assembly as soon as possible so they can be gazetted.”
2. Finalization of the Rules of Procedure
The draft Rules of Procedure for the CA have already been sent twice to all provincial premiers—first on 22 February 2025 and again in early March 2025. However, no feedback has been received to date.
“Again, I ask all premiers to review and send back their comments on the draft Rules of Procedure,” the Prime Minister urged.
“Without approved rules, the Constituent Assembly cannot function.”
3. Appointment of the CA Coordinating Committee
PM Manele stressed that the next most critical output of the upcoming CA meeting will be the appointment of the Coordinating Committee.
“This Committee will be responsible for setting up the eight thematic groups that will review and analyze relevant sections of the draft Federal Constitution before presenting them to the full Assembly,” he said.
In the meantime, PM Manele has received an explanation from the Premier of Western Province and an apology from the Premier of Choiseul over a recent statement made on social media.
“I’ve accepted the explanations and apology,” said Manele. “The Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) has been supportive of all provinces, including Choiseul and Western, and we will continue to push an agenda that unifies and transforms our country.”
The Prime Minister emphasized that the comments from some premiers reflected broader concerns over the non-passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill in December 2024.
“While I see the Opposition as primarily responsible for the bill’s defeat, my government remains committed to reintroducing the amendment this year. I hope MPs whose provinces support this work will vote in favor of the bill,” he said.
PM Manele reiterated that the government is serious about reintroducing the Constitutional Amendment Bill to Parliament and has asked Opposition and Independent MPs to support it.
“We are currently reviewing the Bills and Legislation Committee Report and the Constitution (Amendment) (Constituent Assembly Sitting) Bill 2024 (No. 5 of 2024), in preparation for finalizing the version to be tabled in Parliament later this year,” he added.
By Eddie Osifelo
Solomon Star, Honiara
