post reinstated

Solomon Islands

Solicitor-General post reinstated

In Solomon Islands, the post of Solicitor-General in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which had been suspended since early 1977, has been reinstated. And a lawyer from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Primo Afeau, now holds the post.

Attorney-General Frank Kabui said the post was reinstated last year, but remained unfilled until recently when the Judicial and Legal Services Commission appointed Afeau as acting Solicitor-General. The commission formally appointed him on

July 1.

New

prime minister

The Solomon Islands has a new prime minister. Francis Billy Hilly defeated incum bent prime minister Solomon Mamaloni by one vote and was sworn in on June 18.

Hilly, 46, was the nominee of the grand coalition group while Mamaloni - prime min ister since 1989 - was the nominee of the national unity group. In a secret ballot among the 47 newly-elected

parliamentarians Hilly

scraped home by 24 votes to 23. This has raised the ques tion of the stability of his

government and no doubt the wily Mamaloni - now Opposition leader - will be waiting in the wings for the first for the first sign of discontent.

Already Mamaloni has caused Hilly problems. He refused to leave the official prime minister’s residence at Legakiki Ridge trying to claim it as the Opposition leader’s residence.

This has forced Hilly to stay at the Honiara Hotel while he diplomatically tries to sort things out.

Hilly’s term has begun with two crucial meetings. Last month he had attended the Melanesian Spearhead Meeting in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Important because of the strained relations between the Solomons and neighbour Papua New Guinea over the Bougainville conflict. Hilly has said he will address problems affecting his country caused by Bougainville.

This month will perhaps be Hilly’s real test when he will be ane of the new boys at the Nauru South Pacific Forum.

Mamaloni’s defeat reflects the mood of the country. The people are not happy with the way the government under Mamaloni has addressed or failed to address many problems. \n ailing economy and growing unemployment was perhaps fie biggest single issue contributing to Mamaloni’s downfall.

People are now waiting expectantly for Hilly to keep to his Dromise of turning the economy around.

Hilly was the MP for his present Simbo and Kolombangara xmstituency from 1976 to 1984 and a former premier of the Western Province. In 1974 he graduated from the University )f the South Pacific and then joined the pre-independence government and worked under Mamaloni. Before going into politics in 1986, Hilly worked for a private company in Gizo.

Within 10 days of taking office Hilly was already working m a new-look government. So far he has abolished two key ninistries - tourism and aviation, and housing and government ervices. Portfolios of finance and economic planning and the ninistry of police and justice have also been split.

A Solomon Islands government gazette shows that tourism s now part of the new ministry of culture, sports and tourism vfiile aviation is now part of the ministry of transport, works md utilities. The ministry of finance has ben regrouped with >ortfolio bodies which made up the former ministry of housing nd government services.

The statutory responsibilities of the finance ministry remain he Central Bank, the National Provident Fund, Investment Corporation and the Development Bank of Solomon Islands.

Hilly: defeated Mamaloni