Central Malaita Student Association Blog Site: RAMSI FAILS APRIL RIOT: MAKILI

27 June 2007

Honiara

A HONIARA City councillor, Lawrence Makili, says the April riots happened because of failure by RAMSI officers.

Mr Makili was testifying during the April riot Commission of Inquiry yesterday.He said the riot happened because of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands’ (RAMSI) failure to contain it.

“If the local police handle the issue, nothing like that would have happened. It is the RAMSI personnel that should be blamed,” Mr Makili said.

Asked why?Mr Makili said because of the way they approach people.

A part from RAMSI, Mr Makili also blamed the government.“People want to see change, prosperity and development and they expect a change in government,” the councillor said.He said the government members’ use of the Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF) is a factor that really concerns people.

“Every Member of Parliament gets $1.8million every year. For the 50 Members of Parliament that means $90million every year.“For a full term in parliament, it is $360million going down the drain.”As a result, Mr Makili said no development happen in rural areas.

“Development in the rural areas did not happen, the money does not reach them, but we still put the $300 million down the drain after every four years,” Mr Makili said.

“Parliament is the place to make policies, it is not a bank. But the RCDF money is now used for lending.”He said MPs should not be lending money, they are policy makers.He said the RCDF should be abolished because it no longer served its purpose or its ideology.

“The money should have been spent on other things like medicines. Some children died every day because of no access to better medicines,” Mr Makili said.He said the Honiara City Council is going to have its next Assembly soon and he will move a motion to abolish the ward grant to councillors.The inquiry is to find the causes of the riot, what happen during the riots and to seek ways to stop this problem repeating in future.Mr Makili said when people have grievances they should go to court.

However, the councillor said the “sick judiciary” hindered this from happening.“How quick we are to arrest, prosecute and jail a young boy for stealing a biscuit in a shop because he is hungry.

“On the other hand, we have the upper class, who was accused of corruption, he waited and waited for his case, bail and sit there freely for months or a year.

“Our judicial system needs to pull up its socks, those are the issues that must be enhance by our leaders.”

He said people are waiting for what law will govern the country.“Our leaders’ actions will allow people to dwell on issues such as the riot if we do not address them,” the councillor said.The Commission of Inquiry continues.

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