What Mr Posnett
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
thought of the talks
What happened between Britain’s Mr Richard N. Posnett and rep resentatives of the Solomons Government when Mr Posnett made a flying trip at 24 hours’ notice in an effort to heal the breach between the “Protectors” and the “Protected” which appeared when the latter de cided to stick to their guns over the Constitution?
One of PlM’s representatives in the Solomons, Mr Peter L. Young, talked to Mr Posnett. The result is below.
PIM: What are the points of dif ference between the Solomons and the UK which are holding up the Constitutional Conference and Solomons independence?
Mr Posnett: There is the issue of citizenship. At present, all persons in the Solomons are British-pro tected persons. We are concerned to see that all people in the Solomons and that includes Gilbertese and Chinese are properly looked after. As far as defining who is a citizen of the Solomon Islands goes, that is a complex question and very precise definitions have to be work ed out. Part of my overall task is to ensure that any difficulties are sorted out before the Constitutional Conference is held. So, in a sense I am here to help clear the way for the Constitutional Conference.
PIM: And what about the land question?
Mr Posnett: It seems that in the past there has been a tendency in the Solomons to see the citizenship and the land issues as one and the same.
However, you do not necessarily have to define a citizen as a person who is entitled to hold land. It is better to keep the two issues separate. A person who is not a citizen does not necessarily have to be debarred from holding land. I am sure that the members of the Solomons Government are now beginning to see that the two issues can be separated.
PIM: Is the financial settlement final as far as the UK Government is concerned?
Mr Posnett: Yes. It is an unusually generous settlement in both absolute and per capita terms. It is much more than other states received, such as Grenada and Fiji.
PIM: The Finance Minister, M Kinika, has said that the Solomon. delegation had gained a good dec but had based its arguments so lei on financial and econo mi grounds. He has suggested thi members may wish to argue fc more money from the UK on polit cal grounds.
Mr Posnett: Of course, th Solomons’ Government is free to ac cept or reject the offer.
PIM: Was the UK Governmen surprised when it found that all thi members of the Solomons Legisla tive Assembly wished to attend the Constitutional Conference in Lon don?
Mr Posnett; I wasn’t aware that they had asked for this, but I fully realise that difficulties arise where there are no clear-cut political par ties. However, the problem of num bers making such a conference un wieldly must be closely watched.
Still, this is an issue that is for the Solomons Government to decide.
PIM: What will remain to be done before the Constitutional Conference can be held?
Mr Posnett: We will need to con sider whether the prospects for the conference are good.
PIM: On a general note, is the Westminster style of government the most suitable for developing countries? I am interested in your personal opinion on this because recently some doubts have been ex pressed by politicians in Fiji and Papua New Guinea on this issue.
Mr Posnett: Well, personally, I feel that each country should decide how it will be run. As far as possible, the constitution should reflect the desires and lifestyles of the inhabi tants. You don’t have to follow the Westminster model but you do have to make suitable protection of human rights, freedom, and politi cal stability.
PIM: A recent Newsweek article suggested that the UK has at various times attempted to give its various Pacific territories away to Australia.
What is your reaction to this?
Mr Posnett: It’s nonsense. Of course Australia will be involved with the Solomons in the future after the independence of these islands.