13 Aug 2009

Solomon Islands draft constitution released for public viewing

5:32 pm on 13 August 2009

The Solomon Islands public is being urged to comment on the first 2009 draft of the Federal Constitution.

The Constitutional Congress and the Eminent Persons Advisory Council, under the Constitutional Reform Unit, completed a two-month review of the Draft Federal Constitution of 2004 in June.

The document is now available through the internet but the unit's Permanent Secretary, Dr Fred Rohorua, says it's still awaiting the funds to take 500 printed copies to the provinces.

"We do have real financial issues and because of that the Ministry of Finance and the Government have prioritised spending so projects such as ours take a lesser priority than other things. Having said that we have real money issues so that's what's holding the work back too."

Dr Fred Rohorua says he hopes the money will come through so that people in the provinces have the chance to give feedback on the constitution before the end of this month.