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Leading figures ::
Job Dudley Tausinga (president), Gordon Darcy Lillo, Toswel Kaua, Patrick Vahoe (Jnr), Matthew Fakaia (secretary), Loisa Fakaia (treasurer), Ashley Wickham (policy coordinator).
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Status ::
Founded in 2005, the party is contesting its second national general election. For the 2010 election, the party has set an ambitious target of 3 seats per province. A more realistic prospect would likely see SIPRA return in coalition with the main players in the previous CNURA government.The party has no specific regional strengths and in the past has picked up members from different parts of the country. In the last parliament, members were drawn from Western Province, Malaita and Isabel province.
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Links ::
SIPRA has indicated its intention to coalesce with the remaining parties of the previous Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement (CNURA) government led by Prime Minister Derek Sikua (Democratic Party, Nasnol Pati and the Association of Independent Members).
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Parliamentary seats ::
The party held 5 seats in the last parliament - Job Dudley Tausinga (MP for North New Georgia), Gordon Darcy Lillo, Toswel Kaua (MP for Baegu/Asifola), Patrick Vahoe (Jnr) (MP for Malaita Outer Islands) and Samuel Manetoali (MP for Gao/Bugotu) who has since left to establish the Rural Urban Party in the lead up to the 2010 elections.
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Policies and outlook ::
In addition to releasing its election prospectus, the party has produced a number of discussion papers covering policies across a range of issues (including: the national pension scheme, rural fuel price stabilization, RAMSI leadership and management, governance and traditional and community leadership). The guiding principles outlined in the SIPRA 2010 General Elections Prospectus include:
- The Economy of the country is powered by private initiative and enterprise, begins in rural production and use of natural resources to create surplus, savings, capital formation and wealth. The private sector creates livelihoods that sustain jobs for people. The taxes, duties and fees they pay provide government with income to provide services.
- Politicians are elected to represent their people and ensure legislation, policies and budgets favour the people and their nation’s interests. They are not elected to be project managers or accountants, or involved in the delivery of government development activities and services. The democratic principle of ‘separation of powers’ viz. Legislative, Judicial and Executive must be maintained.
- Public Servants are facilitators of public policy, and in some instances e.g. teachers, nurses, police etc are providers of services to the public. Professional groups, private firms and commercial contractors are also providers of services. All pay taxes to government in some way.
- Good governance (and the principles in the OECD ‘Paris Declaration’ regarding development aid) requires that all funds available to government be appropriated by national parliament including donor funds. Good management requires that a programmatic approach be taken to ensure coherence, coordination and effective delivery of services to the public.
- Democratic governance and gender equity principles insist that women be equitably involved in all
- representative, leadership and management roles as well as in employment and livelihoods.
- Professional and worthy citizens and residents should be appointed to boards of state-owned enterprises, statutory authorities and investment bodies and not politicians.
- Individual Ministers should have no personal or other authority to use their own discretion in matters affecting public revenue income or expenditures. All such matters shall be referred to Cabinet.
- Constitutional reform shall be carried out after a national referendum to ascertain what the majority of Solomon Islanders think about constitutional reform and the direction it should take.
- Policing should be grounded in the national community by having a National Advisory Council for RSIP and Provincial Advisory Boards to assist the Commissioner and his Provincial Commanders.
- SIG foreign policy should reflect Solomon Islands respect for human rights and democratic processes.
- SIG shall uphold the democratic tradition of separation of church and state. Churches can and should be supported by government institutions, but individual politicians should not be involved in channeling government funds to Church institutions.
- The appointment of Prime Minister and approved policies of government must reflect a mandate from the electorates. Parliament must pass appropriate legislation to secure this principle.
Specific policy commitments include:
- Establishing a new national pension (superannuation) scheme.
- Investigating a mechanism to stabilise rural fuel prices and review the official price controls over petrol and diesel in Honiara.
- Requesting the Australian Government to appoint a new RAMSI Special Coordinator (appropriately experienced retired politician) to function as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands.
- Ensuring all RAMSI programmes and projects are coordinated under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
- Normalising all budgeting and disbursement systems to ensure all expenditure is approved through the national parliament.
- Inviting traditional and community leaders in each province to establish a council of leaders to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest relating to community, culture, communications and service delivery – with the aim for eventual institutionalisation of traditional leadership.
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History ::
The Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA) was formed in 2005 to contest the 2006 general election. The party held five seats in the last parliament and was a member of the Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement (CNURA) government led by Prime Minister Derek Sikua. The party is led by Job Dudley Tausinga, who is the long serving member of parliament having been first elected to the North New Georgia constituency in 1984, and held the seat ever since. He served as Minister for Education and Human Resources Development and Minister for Forestry, Environment and Conservation under Prime Minister Derek Sikua. Previously he held the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Forestry, Environment and Conservation (April 2006 to 19 December 2006). He has also served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Natural Resources. In addition, Mr Tausinga has a number of private business interests in shipping and logging. Three of the other five party members held cabinet positions in the last government: Gordon Darcy Lillo – Minister of Environment and Conservation, Samuel Manetoali – Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services and Toswel Kaua – Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs.
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Contact details ::
PO Box 161 Honiara, Solomon Islands
Tel: +677 7496856
lagunwe@hotmail.com
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Sources
Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement The Blueprint of Policy Statements and Directions 2006 – 2009
Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement Prospectus 2010 General Elections
SIPRA (2010) Discussion Papers
‘SIPRA to contest 31 seats’,Solomon Star
, 1 July, 2010
Solomon Islands National Parliament website – www.parliament.gov.sb
