Burning issues

Solomon Mamaloni is confronted with two hot issues - logging and Bougainville - as he resumes office as prime minister after an absence of 16 months.

On logging, he has said he would review the current moratorium because the country’s economic situation was “very precarious”. Referring to a rise in unemployment and break down of many government services, Mamaloni dismissed overseas concerns about the risk of depleting the natural forests.

He said the 2.4 million hectares of forests in the Solomon Islands were “well-protected” under the law.

During its 16-month rule, Hilly’s gov ernment had made a strong stand against excessive logging from foreign companies, mostly from Malaysia.

Anti-corruption, especially in the log ging industry, was the theme of Hilly’s campaign last year. Three months ago Joses Tuhanuku was appointed Minister for Forestry, Conservation and Environment after he refused a bribe from a director of one of the compa nies. The director was expelled in

September.

On the Bougainville issue, Mamaloni is expected to have closer ties with the secessionists of the troubled Papua New Guinea island. Hours after he was elect ed, he received a congratulatory mes sage from Joseph Kabui, deputy to Bougainville Interim Government (BIG) President Francis Ona. The message, which described Mamaloni as “the most capable and decisive leader back in power by popular demand”, added BIG and Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) leaders hoped he would recog nise Bougainville’s declaration of inde

pendence.

Thanking Mamaloni for his previous support of the “struggle for Bougainville’s independence”, Kabui asked for closer consultation and assured the new leader the Bougainville rebels would co-operate with him to “end the war with PNG”. Bougainville secessionist leaders, in the same mes sage, have asked for a meeting with the new government. But Mamaloni said the issue was “delicate” and that he would rather be fully briefed before comment ing on the question.

Loading raw logs for export: a contentious issue right now in the Solomon Islands