Page 8 - IB May 2024

Whispers Whispers

Against independence – and each penalty echoes the fears of experts to press, was that Marape was feigning
other that in trying to find a deterrent, confidence but was worried. A similar
As French President Macron flew into governments are going to turn it into a defection of MPs in 2019 brought down
Noumea for 18 hours, there were sharp law enforcement issue without dealing then-Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill.
divisions between political leaders – and with the twin questions of supply and
that’s just on the anti-independence addressing the impact of drugs in a What of the Solomon Islands?
side! Even though both parties support rehabilitative manner at the community Jeremiah Manele might have
New Caledonia remaining in the French level. The fear is that simply punishing taken over as Prime Minister in the
Republic, Macron’s stopover sparked a the offenders is only going to fill our jails Solomon Islands, but there’s already
series of spats between Les Loyalistes, and perpetuate the problem. Hence, speculation about how long the
led by Sonia Backès and Nicolas Tonga’s proposal is already evoking Government of National Unity and
Metzdorf, and Calédonie ensemble, led negative reactions. With the growing Transformation coalition will last. Like
by Philippe Gomès. The two parties met pressure on governments across the Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, the
separately with the French President Pacific to act, there are concerns they Solomons is known for its constant
during his visit, rather than sit together will act only as politically expedient. political turbulence. In theory, the
in the same room. On Facebook the Of course, the level of ‘innovation’ in coalition of three political parties
next day, Gomès called them “Loyalist this fast-growing trade appears to be and independent members looks
Ayatollahs”. It’s clear what they don’t growing at exponential levels. Recently stable and the three political parties
want—independence—but there’s no in Fiji, a packet was discovered being have already had a stable run as a
unity on the Right about the future. delivered in a loaf of bread. With an governing partnership under Manasseh
array of existential problems confronting Sogavare. But, the independent
The ‘invisible’ agitator Pacific Island countries, this is only going members might be the X factor. And,
France’s hard-line Interior and Overseas to place further strain on already-limited in keeping with good old Solomon
Minister, Gérald Darmanin blamed resources. Islands tradition, Manele can always
Azerbaijan as the instigator of the expect a challenge to his leadership
riots in New Caledonia. That prompted PNG drama from within his own party.
much laughter around the barstools High-level political drama unfolding in
in Noumea, as people argued about Papua New Guinea, with a serious rift Rabuka’s deadly tango
which foreign agitator was behind the evident in government as 18 members of While on the subject of island politics,
1878 revolt by Kanak chief Atai! Some the Pangu Pati-led Coalition, including the government of Fiji’s Sitiveni
plumped for the Kingdom of Hawai’i, five ministers, crossed over to the Rabuka appears to be caught in a
which had an active Asia-Pacific Opposition. The move was apparently in macabre, one step forward, three
diplomacy at the time. Others suggested preparation for a vote of no confidence steps back, self-destructive tango
the Kingdom of Tonga—never colonised against Prime Minister James Marape by since it came into office. And they
—may have stirred up the natives in his closest ally, former Planning Minister, seem to be out to achieve some
1878 (did you notice they’re still at it, Renbo Paita. The change was widely sort of record while at it! Their first
hosting this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, played out on social media, with the six months in office was marred by
146 years after the Chief Atai’s revolt?). Members of Parliament involved posting a series of goof-ups of the highest
Of course, anyone with half a brain is pictures on social media to announce order involving several high-level
looking towards the city that hosts the their defection. Marape described it as appointments. And then, closer to
Eiffel Tower. some of the “excess fat” of government their first anniversary, a high-level
being trimmed. It’s the biggest such move Cabinet reshuffle (that ticked off one
Drugs and the death penalty since he took office in 2019, and has been of the three-way Coalition partners
The drug problem in the region is in the works since early this year, spurred giving impetus to constant speculation
reaching a crescendo, and Tonga’s by the riots in Port Moresby in March. The about a possible collapse of the
proposal to address it with the death buzz on the ground, as this edition went Coalition) which, as Rabuka would

8 Islands Business, May 2024