Briefs

Ombudswoman files legal claim Vanuatu’s ombudswoman, Marie-Noelle Ferrieux-Patterson, in early July, decided to sue leaders in the supreme court to give effect to one of her latest recommendations on leaders’ “misconduct”. In a report pub lished in June here, Ferrieux-Patterson alleged 23 former MPs who lost their seats in 1988 because they didn’t attend parlia ment three consecutive times were later paid each V 1.5 million (SUS 13,200). She alleges that ministers in a former govern ment, including current Prime Minister Serge Vohor, former PM Maxime Carlot, former Finance Minister Willie Jimmy and then acting Finance Minister Paul Telukluk “illegally awarded themselves ex-gratia

compensation” with public funds.

The report recommends Jimmy and Carlot should not be reappointed “to any ministerial post or any position involving public money”, that Jimmy resign or be dismissed, and that all monies received by the 23 be reimbursed within three months.

Vohor’s office later said the report was

“just a piece of paper” and had no value until it had been proven correct by a court.

“My powers are limited - I’m an ombudsman, I make my rec

ommendations. Until a leadership code which creates special tribunals for leaders is passed, not much more can be done. It’s up to the people to decide at the next elec tions,” the ombudswoman said.

Over the past 12 montns, a leadership code bill prepared by the ombudswoman’s office was on the agenda of three parlia mentary sessions. Each time, it was with drawn.

Anti-mercenary moves Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has announced that Australia will join an inter

national convention aimed at banning mer cenaries, Pacnews reported last month.

The convention was opened for signa ture in 1990 but only 12 countries have so far signed it. It needs the signatures of 22 countries before it comes into force.

Western Samoa takes new name The Western Samoan legislative assem ble last month passed a constitutional amendment to remove Western from the country’s name. Only one Independent MP voted against the amendment which was approved by 41 MPs in the 49-seat parlia ment, Pacnews reported.

Thyroid tumours in Marshalls According to a preliminary study on the incidence of thyroid cancer in the Marshall Islands, there is a high number of thyroid tumours in the populations of Ebeye and Majuro, The South Sea Digest reported last month. “No conclusions are yet available

Ferrieux-Patterson

conceming the relationship between possi ble exposure to radiation and the diseases we observed,” the study said.

More than 6000 Marshallese who were alive during the nuclear tests of the 50s were checked from 1993-94 by doctors from the Tohoku Scool of Medicine in Sendai, Japan, which coordinated the sur vey with the Marshall Islands Nationwide Radiological Study.

The study found the prevalence of thy roid nodules was 28.9 per cent in partic pants who were alive at the time of the

1954 Bravo nuclear test.

Celebrations cancelled The Solomon Islands government can celled official independence day celebra tions because of cash-flow problems, according to a Pacnews report.

Secretary to the PM Fred Ganate said funds allocated for the celebrations would be used in sending the Solomon Islands contingent to the Mini South Pacific Games in Pago Pago, American Samoa, this month.

The Solomon Islands became indepen

dent on July 6, 1978.

Enter the dragon The small, but affluent Chinese communi ty in Vanuatu celebrated Hong Kong’s

return to China on June 30 with much rejoicing, traditional drums and a lion dance along Port Vila’s main street.

“We, the Chinese from all around the world, we’re happy. You can’t take away our feeling about our motherland, no mat ter where we are. And we hope one day, China will become a democratic country.

We believe China will have the common sense not to destroy the world’s third largest stock exchange. I don’t think China can afford that,” said Rene Ah Pow, a prominent businessman who was bom here, but whose parents fled China earlier this century.

The Chinese ambassador Liao Jincheng took the opportunity to see in this occasion “a good example for the smooth return of Macau to China as well as the resolution of the Taiwan issue”.

Vanuatu reforms A stringent plan of economic, social and political reforms was endorsed late June by Vanuatu’s leaders and community rep resentatives in a two-day ‘national sum mit’. In February, Vohor signed an agree ment with the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (which coordinates the programme) pledging to carry out the reform programme. Australia, France and New Zealand have sent experts to assist in the reform drafting.

The reform programme aims to boost Vanuatu’s finance, economy and adminis tration performances and reduce costs crip

pling its development.

The programme advocates private-sec

tor participation through privatisation of

those government services seen as not profitable.