Sogavare Rejects Claims by Kemakeza on GG's Office

The Prime Minister has flatly rejected a claim he intends to appoint the present chairman of the Public Service Commission, Edmund Andresen, as the country's next Governor General (GG).

In parliament last week, former Prime Minister, Sir Allan Kemakeza (MP), claimed that Mr Sogavare is secretly planning to appoint Andresen as the next Governor General.
Sir Allan claimed that Mr Andresen revealed to him that the government is offering him (Andresen) the post.

But Prime Minister Sogavare immediately described the claim in parliament yesterday as disgusting. "I am disgusted by any suggestion that the government offered the present chairman of the Public Service Commission the office of the Governor General," Mr Sogavare said. "This is the last person that we should even think about for this high office.

Mr Sogavare said Mr Andresen is currently facing a tribunal hearing for his recent action and public statements about the legal and rightful appointment of Attorney General Julian Moti - which makes him an unsuitable choice.

"His conduct is the subject of Tribunal hearing which will certainly remove him and members of the commission from office," Mr Sogavare said. The Australian ABC television picked up and televised the story which Mr Sogavare described as "misleading".

"I felt sorry for the ABC network because they too have become a hopeless party in the task of misleading the Australian and Solomon Islands public about the ongoing Australian persecution of the Solomon Islands Attorney General," Mr Sogavare said.