beat 'em, recruit 'em

Mamaloni's motto: If you can't beat 'em, recruit 'em

From a Honiara correspondent

he ever-changing political scene he Solomons received yet another :e-up when it was announced that ip Solodia Funifaka, leader of opposition USIPA party and one :he government’s severest critics, been appointed Minister of Works Public Utilities. e replaces Dr Gideon Zoleveke moves over to become Minister Home Affairs, the portfolio erto reserved by Chief Minister naloni. his latest development in the ewhat giddy progress of local ;ics has left most onlookers at a especially as rumours persist that more USIPA members are to be ed into the Council of Ministers, ting members of the Cabinet, n by surprise at Funifaka’s un ited appointment, are extremely irbed. So are senior USIPA mem , who had no advance warning of move. amaloni’s surorise recruitment of ifaka immediately before the smber meeting of the Legislative mbly may be seen as an attempt he part of the Chief Minister to d the torrid scenes of the pre s meeting. At the last assembly ifaka marshalled his forces so well the government’s White Paper on nation had to be withdrawn as :ceptable. leaving the already rtain education system in a ibles. uch of the December meeting is duled for discussion of the lates and Budget for 1975. The inistration has already reluctantly >unced that the starting date for much heralded seventh Develop t Plan has been postponed until middle of next year. The Chief ister is presumably doing what an to avert more trouble in that re by drawing Funifaka into the ews of Funifaka’s appointment released on the same day as the ication of the report of the ilisation Committee. Unlike most ial BSIP publications this one was h waiting for, being well-written, Stic and constructive. traces precious lacklustre at )ts to train and promote indigenes ie public and commercial sectors the churches, and is not slow to :ise instances in all three areas ■e the committee considers that

localisation has been tardy.

By far the greater part of the report, however, consists of a thorough and hard-hitting appraisal of localisation prospects, post by post in the Solomons. Recommended dates of localisation are given for all public sector positions, ranging from the

Government Printer and the Senior Crown Counsel, scheduled for re placement next year, to the Principal Veterinary Officer, whom the com pilers of the report envisage still being at post in 1989.

The report has still to be accepted by the government. Doubtless the more dyed-in-the-wool old colonials will continue their rearguard action against localisation. The permanent and pensionable officers are already lobbying for additional compensation should they be dislodged. Never theless, publication of the report re presents a significant advance towards independence.