The Solomon Islands People’s First Party (PFP) has announced that the reasons behind its mass exit from the Government For National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) will be formally revealed on the floor of Parliament when the Motion of No Confidence is tabled.
The party is of the view that Parliament not the media is the only appropriate constitutional platform where the truth behind the fractured coalition can be properly debated in the interest of the nation.
In a statement, the party urged the Prime Minister to convene Parliament immediately so that the “substantial and compelling” reasons for their decision can be shared with the nation.
“There is no point trying to score political points in the media. The rightful place for this issue is on the floor of Parliament, where it can be properly debated in the interest of our nation and its citizens,” the statement said.
The party clarified that the resignation of 12 ministers and 7 backbenchers serves as a clear and undeniable vote of no confidence in the current leadership of GNUT, under Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
The Party also reaffirmed its crucial role in the formation of the GNUT Government, noting that it had consistently stood by the coalition during previous challenges in the interest of national stability, despite ongoing internal disagreements.
“We have always stood by GNUT for the sake of national stability. But we could no longer, in good conscience, continue under the current leadership. Our decision to withdraw was a united and principled stand by all our MPs to protect the integrity of our Party,” the statement added.
The Party also clarified that the mass exodus cut across multiple coalition partners.
“The 12 ministers and 7 backbenchers that resigned were not only from PFP alone. Four were from Our Party, two from Kandere and one from U4C. The fact that members from different parties within GNUT resigned is evident that this is not a single-party issue but a clear indication of a fractured and failing coalition,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the statement added, there are disgruntled GNUT members who are still sitting on the other side but lack the courage to stand up.
“The current situation reflects a government that has lost unity, direction, and the confidence of its own members,” it added.
