16 Mar 2007

Transparency Solomons queries leaders' behaviour

2:32 pm on 16 March 2007

There's a claim that some Solomon Islands leaders are taking country backwards.

The chairman of the watchdog group, Transparency Solomon Islands, Bob Pollard says they appear capable of taking the country back to the years of civil unrest and rampant corruption, where law and order is not respected.

He says the push by the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, to try to re-introduce armed police was indicative of that.

Mr Pollard says the country needs to give support to those leaders who can take our nation forward, where the rule of law is upheld.

"Unless we are deliberate about having governance systems that are transparent and accountable and follow the rule of law, if we have for example leaders who themselves blatantly break the law and refuse to be accountable then that just breeds a culture of violence, a culture of people saying if our people break the law then why shouldn't we?"

Bob Pollard