Solomons civil society seeking integrity pledge

Transcript

37 aspiring candidates in Solomon Islands have signed an integrity pledge championed by Transparency Solomon Islands.

The pledge commits leaders to abide by the law, disclose business and financial interests and account for use of constituency funds.

It is also supported by other civil society organisations like Forum Solomon Islands International, Development Services Exchange and Youth at Work.

The Chief Executive of Transparency Solomon Islands, Daniel Fenua says those who have signed represent only two of the 10 political parties that will contest the elections along with a couple of independents.

He spoke with Koroi Hawkins about the initiative.

DANIEL FENUA: In the civil society we feel responsible for, you know holding government into account so we thought that coming up with the pledge it is one step in that direction where you know if they win parliament we will come back to them and say, this is what we, what you signed up a months back and we think, you should, you should abide by this integrity where we mentioned in the pledge and then you know we will be like just a monitoring tool where all the coalitions within where we are trying to do this pre election campaign and then members of the public as well they will hold this, sorry intending candidate into account. So though it is not legally binding but you know its like a moral obligation where we ask all the intending candidates to sign up for.

KOROI HAWKINS: The elections have now been officially put for the 19th of November on Wednesday, what are your thoughts, given the amount of people that have signed and also the number of people that have not signed, for these coming elections?

DF: Well I think from our position, like we are hoping that we will be, you know receiving more than 50 candidates who will be actually signed up for the pledge which is really a good number. And we hope that you know whoever, whoever is out there that will be contesting the election we, we sort of encourage him or her to come forward to sign up the pledge. But from our position as an organisation we feel that there are a number of people who would be contesting the election where, you know they are very concerned about the kind of integrity where leaders should have or where candidates should have during the campaign and if they are elected to parliament they are supposed to get with that integrity thing going. So I think we are very happy and we are looking forward for more candidates to sign up the pledge

KH: That is the focus on the candidates, what would be your message to voters who are actually going to elect these people that you are trying to sign up to the pledge?

DF: The important thing that they should do during this campaign is that they should seriously look at the kind of integrity where candidates have. So not only, you know, we have been asking about, you know, people are saying and yes of course you have this educational background but that educational background, the academic background should go alongside with the kind of integrity that we expect from leaders so really voters should, should watch out for the kind of people that will be contesting the election.