Parliament Unanimously Approves Ramsi Review

Parliament Unanimously Approves Ramsi Review Motion

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare yesterday received the unanimous support of Parliament to his motion seeking the approval of the house to review the notice to the Facilitation of International Assistance Act that legalizes the operation of the Australian-led Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.

The review is aimed at correcting the discrepancies found in the text of the notice declared by the Governor General in 2003.

Mr Sogavare told parliament that he was performing his obligation under Section 23 of the Act in tabling the motion and not repealing the Facilitation of the International Assistance Act as speculated by the media.

“I want to make that position very clear because since my government came into office it was branded as anti-RAMSI.

“I just want to make that very clear because we are touching this very sensitive issue and people may draw a wrong conclusion here that this motion is about chasing RAMSI out from this country.”

The Prime Minister said rather the motion was about strengthening the partnership between RAMSI and its stakeholders and ensuring the arrangement was effective in the current Solomon Islands environment.

“We are now in the fourth year since the arrival of RAMSI and questions are raised whether we should continue with the present arrangement or is there a better way of organizing ourselves with them?

“The situation in 2003 was different. When they landed here there was basically no law and order. May be that environment warrants the type of approach outlined in the Act and the various instruments that govern the presence of RAMSI in SI.

“If we go the Act clause by clause you will pick out a lot of issues that we really need to look seriously at because as it stands at the moment it basically steps all over our laws and procedures and systems that are in place.”

The Foreign Minister, Patterson Oti told Parliament told parliament when contributing to the motion that the government was basically complying with article 23 (1) of the Act which stated that parliament be given the opportunity to review the notice establishing the Facilitation of International Assistance Act.

“It is by virtue of that notice, legal notice no. 61 of 2003. That notice by his Excellency the Governor General gives force to the Facilitation of the International Assistance Act. What we are reviewing is not the Act but the legal notice No. 61 which the Governor General authorized the coming into force of the Act.”

Mr Oti said the notice recognized the agreement that was signed between the partners in the RAMSI arrangement on July 24 2003.

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