MARA voices concern on Tovosia’s comments in Parliament

Malaita Provincial Government says in light of Hon Bradley Tovosia’s controversial parliament debate yesterday where he challenged people to return to their places a number of the MARA Malaita Provincial Executive members held an urgent meeting today in Auki on the matter and issue this statement.

It said: “It is the overwhelming belief of the MARA government that what was said by Tovosia on the floor of parliament during his debate on the controversial Constitutional Amendment bill is a continuation of what other prominent Solomon Islanders have also said in the past about the Malaita people.”

However, in this case, the call is being made in the National Parliament and that is of great concern, the statement, said.

According to Premier Suidani and his executive, what was said by Tovosia being a senior minister in the DCGA coalition government could not just be a careless slip of the tongue. “It should be seen as a reflection of the national government’s treatment of Malaita province and its people. Similarly, it would be a mistake to think that the sentiment uttered by Tovosia is not being targeted at Malaitans. What we have seen was a direct assault on Malaita and its people which is nothing less than ethnic profiling of Malaita people,” the statement, said.

In light of this, the premier calls on the government to address the issues that were submitted in the log of claims given to the government during the second appointed day in August last month.

The 28 days period given to the national government to respond to the 15 points claims will lapse on Monday the 12th of September 2022 which is Monday next week.

“I would like to make it clear to the DCGA Government that if my government does not receive any responses to the claims that we submitted on the 15th of August. Claims that the DCGA government themselves requested us to put together and submit, then my MARA government will decide on the next appropriate form of actions we will take in light of the government’s non responsiveness to the claims,” stated Suidani.

Meanwhile, the premier would like to call on all the peace-loving people of Malaita province to keep a positive attitude in light of the provocative sentiments that were said in parliament by Tovosia.

“Let us be united as one people despite the label any high-ranking government minister would like to put on us,” the statement, said.

-Issued by MARA-