Solomons Wants To Mark
p. 13 · Read in the full issue
Time On Independence
Independence for the Solomon Islands is now almost certainly further away than the target of the middle of 1977, unofficially fixed when the former protectorate achieved self government. The Solomon Legislative Assembly, in September, decided to put off further discussion on the constitution report for the time being. The new Chief Minister, Mr Peter Kenilorea, said Britain would now be asked to delay independence.
The intention was that the September session of the Legislative Assembly should discuss the report and then send a broadly based delegation to London for further talks in November. These November talks are unlikely, unless there was an earlier special session of the assembly in October.
The next opportunity to debate the report will not be till January, when the assembly meets for the budget session.
When the assembly debated the report in September, Mr Ulufa’alu (East Honiara) asked for it to be referred back to area committees, local councils, interested bodies and the public for further discussion. Other members criticised the constitutional committee for not visiting all parts of the country to find out what the people thought. Many points in the report were not understood by constituents, or politicians for that matter, and some parts of the suggested constitution did not suit the Solomons, they argued.
There was agreement that the Solomons wanted independence, but not in 1977.
Independence had to be understood by all people, otherwise it would be nothing more than “town independence”, one member said.
The Solomons had been following the traditional course set by Britain towards in dependence. The first was the move from colonial or protectorate status to the “member” system under which local politicans were given portfolios and served a “ministerial appren ticeship”. The next move was to self-government, with Britain relinquishing all powers, ex cept for defence and foreign affairs, and when the “members” became ministers. The final step is full independence, unlikely now before 1978 at the earliest.