Mamaloni's

Ministers!

Mamaloni's headache

Some kind of peaceful co existence with the Opposition or further poaching from their ranks may be the only solution to the present problems Chief Minister Solomon Mamaloni is having with three out of six of his Council of Ministers.

It’s getting more difficult for him all the time to keep up an image before the country of re sponsible, capable ministers when some engage in fist and verbal fights in bars, bring on a Legisla tive Assembly and development plan crisis over the sacking of virtually all teacher trainees, and are closely involved in the collapse of the politically and economically important Malaita Development Company with its all-local share holders.

The only expatriate minister in the Council, New Zealand Angli can priest, Father Peter Thomp son, was sent off on a month’s “sick leave” and had the portfolio of Trade Industry and Labour taken from him by Mr Mamaloni in a reshuffle of portfolios.

It was a sorry end to Fr Thomp son’s long-held ambitions to be involved in the country’s business affairs, as he had made it plain for years in the legislature he thought he had much to offer.

The portfolio, described by Mr Mamaloni as the most vital for the country, was given to the steady and uncontroversial Willie Betu, a probably unwelcome task for a man whose health in recent times had suffered as a result of his conscientious working habits.

Perhaps more spectacular has been the performance of former Health and Welfare Minister, Stephen Cheka. He was moved in the reshuffle to Education and Cultural Affairs where he promptly created the crisis at the Teachers Training College described on p 5.

This followed his involvement in a fight in the Guadalcanal Club —Honiara’s best—in a scene with

other politicians.

Whether the fight, a four cornered one, was about politics eye-witnesses didn’t say, but four

of the country’s leading politicians took part—Mr Cheka, Mr Philip Solodia, Minister for Works and Public Utilities, Mr Ashley Wick ham, Independent Member for Honiara, and Dr Francis Kikolo, Independent Member for East Ysabel and Savo. From all ac counts, Mr Wickham showed that he was handy “with the mitts”.

There was another incident two nights later in the same club in which Mr Solodia was involved.

Police were called but no charges were laid.

The group of politicians at the first fight was remarkable for their mixed and changing allegi ances, and allegations of similar argumentative gatherings in pre vious weeks.

Mr Cheka, originally, was an ally of Mr Wickham but then became uncommitted at the time Mr Mamaloni was moving last year to form his People’s Progress Party and then a minority govern ment of which Mr Cheka was made a minister.

Mr Solodia was leader of the opposition United Solomon Is lands Party (USIPA) until October last year when he was taken into the government ministry.

And Dr Kikolo, once associated with USIPA, became an indepen dent along with others in a loosely-formed group which at present mainly supports the minority government.

Mr Ashley Wickham . . . handy with the mitts.