Two Kinds Of Democracy

• Different Pacific Islands have different ideas of what government is all about and how the voice of the people should be best heard. The Solomon Islands are getting a "step away from Westminster", although, in April, for the first time, the whole population of voting age will elect a majority in their Govern ing Council. In Western Samoa, the right to vote still rests in the hands of the Matai", and how to become a "Matai" is a pretty important issue. Here's

what's happening—

(1) Solomons

The Solomon Islands will have its first general election to vote a majority of members into

a new-style Governing Council

in April. For the first time the council—replacing the old Legislative and Executive Councils—will have more elec ted members than appointed civil servants.

Under a new parliamentary system, designed to bring the Solomons another step nearer self-government, the balance of power will be in the hands of the 17 elected members.

On the official side there will be only three ex-officio members and up to six public service members.

The new council will be presided oyer by a chairman who will be the High Commissioner, for the time be ing. At his discretion, he will be able to appoint a person to deputise for him at public meetings of the coun cil that is, meetings at which the

council sits as a legislative body as opposed to its meetings as an execu tive body which will normally be held in private.

The High Commissioner will still retain the reserve powers that he exercised previously. That is, he pos sesses the power of giving or refusing assent to a bill passed by the council or reserving it for the Queen to give or withhold assent.

In addition, certain matters, such as defence, external affairs, internal security, the police and the public service, are reserved to him inso far as he is not required to consult the council in dealing with them.

The new council will replace the old Legislative Council of 14 unofficial members, three ex-officio members and up to 12 public service members; and the Executive Council, which consisted, in its latter stages, of the three ex-officio members, one public service member and four elected members of Legco.

In the new, combined council great emphasis will be placed on executive committees which will re place the old policy-making body, the Executive Council, the idea be ing that every elected member will serve on at least one committee and thus have a more direct say in formu lating policy.

Executive committees

It has been suggested that five committees will function initially, dealing respectively with finance; social services; land and natural re sources; communications and works; and internal affairs.

The new set-up was first outlined at the end of 1968 when it was presented to the old Legislative Council as an attempt to get away from Westminster-type of govern ment and provide something more suitable for Melanesians in their present state of political develop ment.

A special select committee was then appointed by the Legislative Council to examine the proposals.

Invitations were issued to the public to submit written or oral opinions

No-one is sure yet

but there were few takers although all media in the Solomons gave the plan full publicity.

A Bill to give legal effect to the new set-up went before the Legisla tive Council in June, 1969, but passed into law with little debate.

Whether or not it is going to make for better, more efficient gov ernment in the Protectorate; or whether it is, indeed, a step nearer self-government is still being debated in the Solomons. No one is sure how government-by-committee will work out in practice.

One of its critics is Mr. E. V.

Lawson, a Honiara businessman who served a number of terms on the old Legco. It was a wonderful plan, as a training ground but it wasn’t a step towards self-government, he said. Members could learn by being on the committees but they weren’t going to be any nearer governing than they had been before.

(2) W. Samoa

The campaign for the Western Samoan elections in February got off to a good start in December when over 150 candidates were nominated for the 147 seats and there was an abortive scramble of 600 would be matai to get on the electoral rolls.

A woman was among those elected unopposed. She is Fiamaala Filipo of Palauli, a NZ registered nurse who has been in charge of the children’s ward at Apia general hospital. She will be Western Samoa’s first female parliamentarian.

Fourteen other candidates, includ ing Prime Minister Mata’afa and four of his cabinet, were also un opposed when nominations closed on December 19 but battles in some of the other 32 electorates make up for it. Some have as many as 13 candidates and the average is four.

Except for the two seats reserved for people of European status, the only people who vote in Western Samoa are matai, the chosen heads of extended families. Some candidates, in recent years, have hit upon the idea of creating dozens or even hun

dreds of new matai for electoral pur poses but new laws passed in Decem ber cracked down on this.

The Land and Titles Protection Ordinance avoided an avalanche of no less than 600 new matai who had demanded to be put on the Roll of Matai in the previous few weeks.

The registrar’s office worked over time to weed out those who had not proved that they had been elected under full Samoan custom.

Some were found to be under age and others were women and girls who had been made “chiefs” for electoral purposes.

Those refused registration can appeal but appeals will not be heard until after the elections.

Genuine new matai titles were being registered as usual and, according to the registrar, about 10,000 matai will be eligible to vote in February.

Interesting candidate

Probably one of the most interest ing candidates, from a Samoan traditional point of view, is Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV, a nephew of the late Tupua Tamasese Mea’ole, who was joint head-of-state until his death in April, 1963. He has been a medical officer at the Apia hos pital but is, like the Prime Minister, a high chief of Western Samoa.

When he announced his candida ture it was suggested that, when he takes his seat in the Legislative Assembly, there may be a conflict between Samoan custom and parlia mentary procedure.

At the time of independence two High Chiefs (Malietoa and Tama sese) became joint head-of-state with a lifetime tenure of office; and the third, Mata’afa, was eventually elect ed Prime Minister. However, it seems likely that Mata’afa will con tinue as PM after the February elections with, perhaps, a cabinet post for Tupua Tamasese.

Five candidates will contest the two seats reserved for people of European status. They are Messrs.

Thomas Allen, a trader; Paul Meyer, planter; Thomas Ott, planter, Sam Saili, accountant; and G. F. D.

Betham, Minister for Finance in the last parliament. (The second non- Samoan member was Mr. P. M.

Paul who is not seeking re-election.) Local opinion is that Mr. Betham will make it, but it’s anyone’s guess who the second successful candidate will be.