PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i

Solomon Star

By Joses Tuhanuku

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (March 21) - I am quite willing to acknowledge that the Republic of China has been funding the Rural Constituency Development Funds for the 50 constituencies in Solomon Islands, including the Rennell and Bellona Constituency and that on top of that, Republic of China has also provided additional funds for what are known as micro-projects.

Republic of China has also been providing funding for much needed shipping services for some provinces, including Rennell and Bellona.

In acknowledging this assistance I also agree with Republic of China Ambassador Mr. Antonio Chen and caretaker prime minister Sir Allan Kemakeza that the Republic of China’s assistance for the Rural Constituency Development Funds and the micro-projects has been done in a transparent manner.

In the case of the micro-projects, I have to say that I have been impressed by the way it has been administered.

For example, my role in my capacity as Member of Parliament for Rennell and Bellona Constituency was merely to endorse applications before they were submitted to the Screening Committee in the Ministry of Economic Planning, which would either approve or reject each application. I believe that we would be much better off if the Rural Constituency Development Funds was also administered in this way.

However, what Chen and Kemakeza have failed to tell the people of Solomon Islands is that Republic of China regularly over the past few years has been providing additional funding for so-called special projects through the Prime Minister’s Office.

Not so transparently it appears, it is Kemakeza that endorses these applications requested by certain individuals for these so-called "Special Projects."

In fact, nine times out of ten, no one actually applies for these funds until the prime minister indicates that they should and then he tells them that for sure funding for their ‘special project’ will be approved.

The request is processed and BINGO! Taiwan’s dirty money comes flooding forward for the politician or candidate of the prime minister’s choice.

Indeed these so-called special project funds are the main form of corruption used by Republic of China to manipulate and influence the political processes in Solomon Islands, with the sole aim of keeping Kemakeza in office.

It is these so-called special project funds that Republic of China and Kemakeza have used over the past few years to lure members of the Parliamentary Opposition to either join the Government or to become highly compromised members of the Opposition.

I have never applied for any of these special projects.

Now in the past few months leading up to the election, these special projects are being used as the chief source of campaign funding for the Prime Minister’s favorites whom are expected, once elected, to back him and his Republic of China cronies.

As for the case of the so-called Agricultural Rehabilitation Project for East Rennell, I understand that the total funding was SB$300,000 [US$42,300] compared to the allocation for the whole constituency of Rennell and Bellona of SB$200,000 [US$28,200] under the micro-projects scheme.

In the case of this so-called Agricultural Project for East Rennell, I have the following questions to put to Chen and Kemakeza:

• Where in East Rennell is there any evidence of these funds having been used for the officially stated purpose of ‘agriculture rehabilitation’?
• There are two members in the Rennell Bellona Provincial Assembly representing East Rennell – one for ward one and the other for ward two. If indeed, this SB$300,000 was intended for agricultural rehabilitation in East Rennell, why was the provincial member for ward two not involved in the coordination of the project?
• There is a provincial government and provincial administration in Rennell and Bellona, why was the provincial administration not involved and consulted about such a big project?
• Why was this large amount of so-called agricultural assistance not made available to the rest of Rennell and Bellona?
• What was the basis for this individual - the provincial assembly member for ward one - being selected to be the sole coordinator of this so called project and granted sole discretion over the use and distribution of its funds?
• Was the individual handpicked to be the coordinator of the so-called agricultural project for East Rennell simply because he is the Republic of China candidate in the Rennell/Bellona constituency, or one of them, for the upcoming General Election?
• Why did this same individual have to travel to Savo by outboard motor canoe recently to personally collect funds from Kemakeza apparently granted under the auspices of the East Rennell Agriculture Rehabilitation Project?
• Has Chen ever sent an independent team to East Rennell to find out whether these funds have been used to fund any authentic agricultural projects?

However, my concerns are not limited just to what is going on in my own constituency.

I would also like to make clear that this issue has nothing to do with the one or two-China policy. As the Solomon Islands Labor Party has already made clear its position during its recent convention, this is not a priority issue, as far as the current situation in Solomon Islands is concerned. The priority foreign policy issue for Solomon Islands right now is RAMSI.

The issue in question here is one of national significance. And that is the use of so-called ‘aid’ funds by Republic of China to manipulate and compromise the political processes in Solomon Islands.

This is what I totally deplore and condemn as do many, many of my fellow Solomon Islanders.

[Joses Tuhanuku is the President of the Solomon Islands Labor Party and is currently contesting the elections as the sitting member for Rennell and Bellona islands south of Guadalcanal where the national capital is situated].

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