Party says Rini’s move not negotiable
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s proposal to reshuffle the Minister of Finance and Treasury Snyder Rini and the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources John Maneniaru has hit a snag, government sources reveal.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) which both Prime Minister Sogavare and Minister Rini are members of is opposed to the latter taking on the Fisheries and Marine Resources portfolio.
The party, which continues to be at odds with the Prime Minister over some of his decisions including the termination of a number of political appointees, said the plan to move Mr Rini to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is non-negotiable.
“UDP has told the Prime Minister loud and clear that he cannot reassign Minister Rini to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. He was told in very clear terms that he can reshuffle other Ministers but not the Minister of Finance and Treasury,” the government sources said.
The sources said the Prime Minister’s inability to reshuffle Minister Rini with someone more energetic and capable to lead the Ministry of Finance and Treasury makes the major Cabinet reorganisation a total mockery.
“The Prime Minister had announced that the cabinet reorganisation was to address the issue of underperformance by the reshuffled ministers in their previous portfolios and looking at the performance of Minister Rini, he should have been reshuffled or even terminated.
“Just look at the government cash-flow situation, it has reached its lowest ebb but yet Minister Rini does not even care about what is happening. This is a total mockery of the reshuffle exercise,” the government sources said.
By John Aatai