Spc Decision Postponed
p. 13 · Read in the full issue
PIM in July covered what was known after the first ballot for the choice between Fred Betham, of Apia, and Gala Oala-Rarua, of Papua, for the job of secretarygeneral of the SPC. It can now be confirmed that when the ballot ended in deadlock, the governments agreed to a Fiji proposal that further vote be postponed until the SPC session in October.
The voting on the first ballot was 13 for Betham, 10 for Oala. Australia, which nominated Oala, has five votes, so Oala must have obtamed the support of one of the holders of four votes (France, NZ
or US) plus one of the three one vote members (Western Samoa, Fiji and Nauru). Fiji voted for Betham, who could hardly have lacked also the vote of his sponsor, Western Samoa; that leaves Nauru as support ing Gala.
In a letter to The Canberra Times on June 30 I argued that Australia should gracefully withdraw, and should also give a lead in dumping the unseemly plural voting system.
A change in the system can scarcely happen before October, so unless there is a compromise meanwhile there will be a not-too-desirable tussle at Noumea.—lF. D. Forsyth