1 Aug 2003

PINA conference ends with arguments over proposed merger with PIBA

10:41 am on 1 August 2003

The Pacific Islands News Association conference in Samoa has ended with what our reporter, Linda Skates, describes as a stormy final session.

Here's her report from Apia......

"The PINA executive, and the chairman of PIBA the Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association, faced a grilling from some delegates over the possible merger between the two organisations. The publisher of the Samoa Observer, Savia Sano Malifa questioned how it was possible to decide on a merger or elect a new PINA executive, when the accounts from PIBA were unavailable. Other delegates also questioned whether PINA would be landed with financial liability by PIBA. PIBA's president was absent from both the conference and the meeting, but the PIBA chairman, Francis Herman has promised to deliver audited accounts in three weeks. The meeting which was acrimonious at times eventually resulted in the election of Samoa's Apulu Lance Polu as the new PINA President."