19 Apr 2005

Solomon Islands government says it does not consider Forum review of RAMSI a problem

8:27 pm on 19 April 2005

The Solomon Islands government says it has no problem with the Pacific Islands Forum reviewing the operation of the Regional Assistance Mission or RAMSI.

A former Cabinet Minister, Alfred Sasako, says an independent auditor should conduct the review.

Mr Sasako says with an Australian heading the Pacific Islands Forum, suspicions could arise about the independence of a review of the Australian dominated operation.

But the Solomon Islands cabinet secretary, Toswell Kaua, says the government, which asked the Forum to review RAMSI, has not considered the issue raised by Mr Sasako, and he doesn't know if it will.

The Solomon Islands Government announced last week that an Eminent Person's Group headed by Fiji's Foreign Affairs Minister, Kaliopate Tavola, and including the Forum secretary general, Greg Urwin, will start work next month.