OPMC REFUTES CLAIMS OF MEETING WITH FORMER MILITANTS
The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) refutes report claiming Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare had met with former militants.
In a statement today the OPMC describes the claim as ‘a deliberate lie’ concocted by none other than a bunch of power-hungry politicians in the Parliamentary Opposition Group.
It alleges, the group of politicians uses the Island Sun newspaper to publish the false allegation against the Prime Minister and then issue a media statement under the label of the Parliamentary Opposition Group to call on the Prime Minister to confirm or deny whether the allegation is true.
The OPMC says such an action brings into question the integrity of the Parliamentary Opposition Group to perform the watchdog role it is constitutionally mandated with.
It says the Prime Minister meets with the ordinary citizens of Solomon Islands on a regular basis but he has never met any so-called militant or groups representing militants.
The OPMC adds, the Prime Minister has more pressing and important issues of national interest to attend to than responding to a concocted media report.
Meanwhile, the OPMC cautioned the Parliamentary Opposition group against the use of the term ‘Ex-Militants’ on those who took part in the ethnic conflict.
It says the use of this label can be seen as undermining the social rehabilitation process the ethnic conflict participants have undergone to reintegrate into the society.