Solomons independence

plan holed on Gilberts reef

From a Honiara correspondent

The constitutional conference be tween the British and Solomon Is lands Governments which was to open late in June has been postpon ed indefinitely.

Announcing this, the British Government said that certain ques tions should be “reconsidered on both sides”.

The hitch in what was hoped would be a smooth advance by the Solomons to their promised politi cal independence in 1978 centres on the presence in the islands of about 3 000 Gilbertese, resettled there over the past 20 years on the initia tive of the British from their over crowded home islands in the old Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.

The British are demanding that the draft constitution be amended to provide for automatic citizenship for the Gilbertese.

The Chief Minister, Mr Peter Kenilorea, has been particularly flexible on the citizenship issue. But some backbenchers in the Legisla tive Assembly have not been so rea

dy to accept the Gilbertese. Their view is that the British brought them in and that it is therefore a British responsibility to get them out.

Accordingly, they are digging their toes in on the existing constitu tional provisions for citizenship, under which the country’s Gilber tese residents would have to make special application within a year of

independence for registration as

citizens.

British sensitivities on the ques tion of the Gilbertese are understan dable. Still smarting from the cuts they took in connection with the Banabans’ case, Britain’s rulers are in no mood to expose themselves to new accusations of callousness and neglect in the related matter of the interests of Gilbertese residents in an independent Solomon Islands.

Another difference between the two sides concerns a down-payment of $2 million by the British to the Solomons on independence.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office shortly after the Solomon Islands’ delegation return ed in May from financial talks in London described this as “the im portant point that remains to be set tled’’.

The statement said that without such a settlement, the delegation “would feel unable to recommend to the Legislative Assembly that the proposed constitutional conference should take place at the end of June”.

Heavy Tonga Quake

Damage in Nukualofa was widespread after an earthquake hit Tonga about midnight on June 22 and continued for about three minutes. No loss of life was re ported.

In the Vuna wharf area the floor of the terminal building sank into the sea. The front of the wharf was cut off from the road and subsided about .6 m (about 2 ft). The side tower of the residence of the Prime Minister. Prince Tu’ipelehake, was partly demolished. A tower of the Free Wesleyan Church was damag ed .