Pacific Report

GOVT. PARTY HAS EASY WIN IN SAMOA POLL In Western Samoa’s February general election the government party, the Human Rights Protection Party, was returned with a majority of 15 scats. Polling closed at 3 p.m. on February 22 and by 5 p.m. the victory was clear. Of the 47 seats in the legislative assembly, 31 have been won by the H.R.P.P. and 15 new members have been elected to Western Samoa’s ninth parliament.

Only one former cabinet member, Lava Lio, minister for health, lost his seat. The prime minister, Tofilau Eti Alesana was returned with 328 votes, a record majority in this election. These results were provisional and must be confirmed within 45 days of the election. The government’s majority of 15 seats is equivalent to that held by the present Leader of the Opposition, Tupuola Efi, in the elections of 1976. Talking after the result was announced, the prime minister said from his home in Savaii he was grateful to his supporters and said his government would now consolidate its work of the past two years. He said he hoped the increased majority his party had won would give confidence to the countries that had been assisting Western Samoa in its development. Eti’s position as H.R.P.P. leader was reaffirmed on February 26, after a meeting of party faithful which lasted two days. He was thus put forward as the party’s official candidate for prime minister.

Parliament decides this by secret ballot at its first sitting after the election. Eti himself clearly enough has enjoyed the leadership of his country but, in various conversations over the past year, has indicated that he might not stand again. He is now over 60 but is still very fit and without doubt in command, a status the election has certainly confirmed. Lee Anderson in Apia. (see seperate report p. 23).

Brisbane: Anti-Kanak Gun-Running Charges

Four foreign nationals had conspired to smuggle more than $40,000 worth of firearms and ammunition to New Caledonia for use against Kanak rebels, the Brisbane Magistrates Court was told on March 6., Alan Grelier, 30, a teacher, Vu Viet Chaun, 30, unemployed, and Jean-Nicholas Bondaletoff, 38, yacht rigger and captain, were charged that between December 15, 1984 and March 5, 1985, they accumulated firearms and munitions to use in hostile activities against New Caledonia. Paul Ngoe Ly, 28, unemployed, was charged with giving money to Bondaletoff for the commission of the offence. No pleas were taken. The four men, from France and New Caledonia, were remanded in custody after the Public Prosecutions legal officer, lan Bates, said they were an unacceptable risk.

Soviets Ask Kiribati For Fishing Rights

Kiribati and Soviet delegations have met in Sydney for two days of talks on a Russian application for fishing rights in Kiribati’s 200-mile exclusive economic and fisheries zones, but no agreement was reached. It is believed that the Russian delegation, headed by Mr Guldibadimov, made certain proposals which the leader of the Kiribati delegation, Minister of Natural Resources and Deve lopment Babera Kirata, has conveyed to the Kiribati Government.

The meeting took place as the United States was considering a protest by Kiribati over the presence in its waters off Onotoa Island on January 21 of an American tuna boat Carol Linda, alleged to have been fishing without permission.

Palau Senate Approves Compact

The Senate of the Republic of Palau has approved the Compact of Free Association with the United States, after voting for rejection on two occasions, in August and November last year. The constitutional ban on the entry of nuclear substances into the republic was not a consideration in the Senate’s decision. When the referendum was held, the vote to remove the ban was below the required 75%, but the Senate now holds that approval needs only simple majority. Those who oppose this view may test it in the courts.

U.S. TO LIFT BAN ON SOLOMONS IMPORTS?

The United States is expected to lift its ban on fish imports from

Solomon Islands, which it imposed last year after Solomon Islands seized an American tuna boat, Jeanette Diana, for illegal fishing.

The boat was retrieved recently by the owners, C. & F. Fishing Company of San Diego, after paying about $U5770,000 for the boat, the boat’s fish-spotting helicopter and accessories. When Solomons Prime Minister Sir Peter Kenilorea returned from a visit to Washington, he complained that the U.S. Government was continuing its ban even though agreement had been reached with the owners. But the latest news is that the U.S. will lift the ban if the Solomons Government will enter into negotiations with the American Tuna Association for a bilateral fisheries agreement. Sir Peter has agreed to the proposal. Negotiations are continuing between member countries of the South Pacific Forum’s Fisheries Agency and the association over licences to fish in the various economic and fisheries zones in the region.

Arts Festival: Tahiti Bid Succeeds

The French Pacific territories appear determined to offer their hospitality to the Fourth Pacific Festival of the Arts which is now set down for celebration in Tahiti, starting on June 29. The original venue and date (Noumea, last December) became impossible because of the unrest at the time, and continuing, in New Caledonia and the festival was very reluctantly cancelled at the very last moment; some delegates, in fact, notable among them the governor of Easter Island, had already left on journeys designed to include the Noumea celebrations. The offer by Papeete to host the large and elaborate festival was made in the middle of February during a gathering of delegates from 20 Pacific independent nations and dependent territories. They debated the idea in private for several days, and many of them were reportedly reluctant to accept the invitation, not for any political reason, but because of the great added cost many of them will incur by having to travel to French Polynesia rather than to Noumea. Expenses in Tahiti are also considered to be somewhat higher than in New Caledonia.

Jacques Teheiura, minister for culture in the government of Gaston Flosse, agreed to pay the extra involved and, as was the case in Noumea, France will in fact pick up almost all of the CPF2OO million bill (about SAI.6 million). The local significance of June 29, the date set by the host delegation for the opening of the festival, may have escaped some of the delegates at the meeting, at least until an open letter, in French, English and Tahitian, appeared in the local newspapers, from the four biggest opposition political parties. June 29 was not, the letter passionately asserted, a great national holiday commemorating the free cession of the islands by King Pomare V on June 29,1880, but a “day of shame and sorrow for all Polynesians because of the fraudulent nature of the French take-over.” Premier Flosse tried to organise a local festival on the day last year but it was boycotted by the opposition parties and by Protestant and Catholic church leaders. The question now is whether local opposition will be less strong because the festival has an international dimension, and a large one at that. While the French government was apparently most eager to host the Pacific Arts Festival in Noumea last year, and very reluctant to cancel it, there is alleged to be some slightly different flavor about their approach to the Polynesian initiative, particularly since Premier Flosse’s treaty-signing business in Noumea. But, if he can pull it off the festival will undoubtedly increase his personal status in the region Bengt Danielsson and Staff Writer.

Thai Delegation Tours Islands

An eight-man delegation from Thailand led by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Prapas Limpabhandhu has visited Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Views were exchanged in each country on international and regional affairs and methods of promoting co-operation in trade, investment and technology.

New Hope For Ok Tedi

Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Minerals and Energy, Francis Pusal, has reported that the other partners in Ok Tedi Mining Ltd have agreed to a government proposal on future development of the gold and copper mine involving construction of a permanent tailings waste dam and a single copper processing unit.