Solomon Islands Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Matthew Wale has called on Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to clarify the allegations in the media in relation to the sufferance wharves saga.
In a statement, Mr Wale said the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter has raised a lot of suspicion from the public.
He said the ongoing revelations in the media are appalling especially on how the matter has evolved in a very short time and the controversy surrounding the question of why the former finance minister was reshuffled and the external interests allegedly behind it.
“I am joining the public to call on the Prime Minister to come clean and clarify to the public,” he said.
Wale said the Prime Minister’s weak decision making has lend the government vulnerable to state capture by business interests.
The Opposition Leader said when the issue first emerged the Prime Minister told local media that it was a normal government procedure, but the new finance minister admitted to media that the former minister was reshuffled because of his decision on the sufferance wharves.
“The finance minister has contradicted the Prime Minister’s statement so who is telling the truth?” Wale questioned.
He adds while the Prime Minister and his new finance minister has down played it as a normal reshuffling action in line with the Cabinet process, these recent media allegations have now blown the issue wide open now also raising serious doubts on the Prime Minister’s credibility and competency in the manner in which he had addressed the issue.
“There is too much already in the public space raising eye brows but the extent to which these recent allegations directly implicate the Government in the timing of the reshuffling, vested interest of Government MPs and a possible history with the named businesses, the issue is now far from being normal,” he said.
Wale said it is one thing to reshuffle ministers, but when the practice is used as a smoke screen to facilitate favorable treatment for businesses as alleged, the duty owed by the Prime Minister and the Government to the people is even greater.
“The risks and consequences the country can face if sufferance wharves are abused to serve the interest of just a few people can be far reaching than what meets the eye. Leadership that slaves to business influence is irresponsible and reckless to the best interest of its people,” Wale said.