The Native Iowan

I really like this line…

Some MPs are reportedly under high surveillance to avoid attempts to lure them.

… sorta sums up polotics in these islands.

WITH the two latest resignations from the Government, Prime Minister Danny Philip has been challenged to prove to the nation he has the numbers to rule.

And with less than a month before Parliament sits to pass the 2011 Budget, the Prime Minister has been called onto prove his numbers to avoid a constitutional crisis.

The Solomon Star understands that in order for the Government to avoid a constitutional crisis Parliament must convene before Parliament sits to pass the budget because either way the Opposition say they were prepared to defeat the budget.

Speaking to the Solomon Star yesterday at the Heritage Park Hotel deputy Opposition leader Matthew Wale and Member for North/West Guadalcanal Bodo Dettke said Prime Minister Philip has two options and that was to resign or call Parliament to prove his numbers.

“It is simple, call Parliament or resign because it clearly showed that MPs are defecting from the Government because they have no trust in the Prime Minister,” both Opposition members said.

The Opposition is leading the political number game with 26-22.

This was after Mr Kemakeza and Mr Sophage earlier resigned from the Government and joined the Opposition.

They recently took their oath and moved back to the Government and now they are back with the Opposition after they resigned last Friday.

Mr Wale and Mr Dettke said they were prepared to take on the Government when they debate in Parliament.

“Enough of debating in the media and lets take it to the floor of Parliament,” Mr Wale said.

Meanwhile, security in both camps has been beefed up as lobbying intensifies ahead of the Parliament sitting next month.

Some MPs are reportedly under high surveillance to avoid attempts to lure them.

THE GOVERNOR General Sir Frank Kabui is reportedly being pressured by the Opposition to call Parliament immediately after deputy Opposition leader Matthew Wale filed yet another letter to the Government House over the weekend.

Private Secretary to Governor General Nigel Maezama confirmed a letter signed by Mr Wale was lodged to the Governor General on Saturday.
The Solomon Star understands this was the second notice the Opposition had filed to the Governor General after they filed a petition January 25, which was signed by 25 members.

Mr Wale yesterday confirmed lodging a letter to the Government House but he declined to reveal the details of the letter stating that it would be unethical because the Governor General had not responded to his letter yet.

But the Solomon Star understands that the letter was to advise the Governor General to call Parliament immediately after former Minister of Mines and Energy Mark Kemakeza and Housing Minister Martin Sophage resigned from the Government again.

Mr Kemakeza and Mr Sophage earlier resigned from the Government and joined the Opposition.

They recently took their oath and moved back to the Government and now they are back with the Opposition after they resigned last Friday.

Mr Maezama confirmed receiving their resignation letters on Friday last week.

This brings the political number game to 26-22 in favour of the Opposition.

The Solomon Star asked to interview the Governor General but Mr Maezama said the Governor General would not be speaking to the media on the matter.

“This is a political issue the politicians have to resolve themselves and they cannot drag the Governor General into the matter. Like we mentioned earlier, only the Prime Minister has the power to call parliament end of story,” he said.

However, an Opposition spokesman told the Solomon Star that the best option now was for Governor General Sir Frank Kabui to call on the Prime Minister to prove his numbers before Parliament sits to pass the budget.

“Like it or not if the Government don’t have the majority then the Opposition are likely to defeat the budget so the Prime Minister has to prove his numbers now to avoid a constitutional crisis,” he said.

Last week Tuesday, the Opposition also filed a motion of no confidence to Speaker of Parliament Sir Allan Kemakeza.

The Oppositions notice was based on the Danny Philip case which outlined that a no confidence vote under section 34 of the constitution is a right of an MP and cannot be suppressed by the standing orders.

Sir Allan recently told the Solomon Star that there were only two options in dealing with the notice and they were (1) for the speaker to call Parliament based on section 34 (2) of the Constitution and (2) to take the matter to court to clarify section 34 (2) whether the speaker has the power to call Parliament.

The matter had been referred to the Attorney General in which he advised that the speaker had no power to convene Parliament.

Sir Allan also re-confirmed this to the Solomon Star yesterday.

Donald Rumsfeld demonised it and George Bush allegedly said he wanted to bomb it. No one was quite sure whether the then White House incumbent was joking or not, but its offices have been hit by US forces. Twice.

Now something rather strange has begun to happen to the Arabic language news broadcaster al-Jazeera and the English language channel it launched nearly five years ago; American viewers have begun to demand it. It is clear some kind of watershed has been reached when the Kansas City Star publishes a cut-out-and-keep guide to the “easiest way to get al-Jazeera English”.

The Qatar-based channel’s acclaimed coverage of the Egyptian crisis has been referred to as the broadcaster’s “CNN moment”, doing for al-Jazeera English what the first Gulf war did for CNN, pushing it to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. Put simply, must-see TV. Now the challenge is to translate the plaudits into the major cable or satellite distribution deal the channel has long sought without success in the US.

The New York Times, which praised the channel’s “total immersion coverage of news events the whole world is talking about”, bemoaned the fact that US cable viewers were able to watch MTV’s controversial adaptation of E4’s teen drama Skins but not al-Jazeera English. “It seems like a perverse application of free speech,” said the paper. “But sex is sexier than foreign affairs and it certainly sells better.”

With China investing $7bn in foreign language media, we may also be witnessing the beginning of a shift, albeit slight, in the nature of global TV news and debate. Stephen Claypole, the former senior BBC News and TV news agency executive who is now chairman of the London and Abu Dhabi-based consultancy, DMA Media, says: “Al-Jazeera has the game by the throat, both in Arabic and English, and it has certainly lived up to its reputation as the most watched broadcaster in the Arab world in spite of intimidation and violence against its staff in Egypt.

“I have heard that [US secretary of state] Hillary Clinton watches it constantly and that Barack Obama has been viewing from the situation room. Although al-Jazeera English has been competent since its launch, it has been waiting for a huge story to call its own. Egypt is certainly that,” Claypole adds.

Al-Jazeera English is separate from the main al-Jazeera Arabic channel, which began broadcasting in 1996. Staffed largely by western TV journalists, the English-language service leveraged the advantages of its Arabic network and contacts in covering the emerging crisis. For a story of this scale in the Arab world, it absolutely had to be good.

Al Anstey, the former ITN executive who is the managing director of al-Jazeera English, describes it as an “extraordinary week” for the channel and a “truly historical” one for Egypt.

“We are being seen worldwide as a channel of reference on this story,” says Anstey. “There has been an exponential increase in the recognition of exactly what it is we do and the quality of our journalism and content. I always say the best way of addressing any misconceptions about al-Jazeera English is to switch on and watch.”

Al-Jazeera English is available in around 220m homes in more than 100 countries worldwide, including viewers with Freeview, Sky or Freesat in the UK. But fewer than 3m of those homes are in the US including – helpfully for the White House – Washington DC.

The failure to strike a major US distribution deal is partly a result of the political sensitivity that surrounded the perceived negative slant of al-Jazeera Arabic’s coverage of the Iraq war. It is also a reflection of the fact that cable operators do not think they can make money from a foreign news network on systems that are already full. BBC World News is distributed to around 6m homes in the US, against more than 10 times that for the entertainment channel BBC America (on which some World News bulletins air).

“For a long time al-Jazeera was seen as the Fox [News] for the bad guys — that’s a really unfortunate way of looking at it,” says Jon Williams, the BBC’s World News editor. “With the change of [US government] administration there’s been a slight change of attitude, and if this means that it does now get carriage in the US, then we welcome that. Al-Jazeera has done some great stuff … It wouldn’t be fair to single out its Egyptian coverage – it has been doing this for a while.”

Now we’re fighting over “dolphin money”…

JOSEPH Wane has denied playing any part in the distribution of the $25,000 given by Earth Island Institute (EII) to Walande community last Christmas.

This came after Walande community member Willie Fa’asu accussed Wane’s committee yesterday for not distributing the money fairly to the community.

Mr Wane said he did not go to village on Christmas but remained at Honiara.

“The committee shared the money,” he said.

“If it’s short then it’ll have to be like that because the money was not meant for sharing but to host a Christmas party.

“Fa’asu doesn’t need to complain but do a project for people in Walande,” Mr Wane said.

EII gave a total of $50,000 to be shared among the Walande and Fanalei community.

The Fanalei community received the remaining $25,000.

The money was part of the Christmas gift given by EII to the two communities for cooperating well in their dolphin project.

EII wanted the two communities to stop dolphin hunting in their waters.

This is too good to pass up… basically the incumbent government is kid napping opposition members and putting all sorts of pressure on them. So sad. Sore lo solomoni…

OPPOSITION Leader, Steve Abana was said to have intercepted a group of Government’s supporters at Honiara domestic airport on Thursday.

This came after they took resigned Minister for Police, James Tora and wanted to send him to the Western Province.

According to our source from Opposition, the Government’s supporters used Mr Tora’s relatives to lure him inside a dark tinted taxi.

“When Tora got inside the taxi, there were government’s supporters sitting inside,” our source said.

“They drove with Mr Tora to the airport and wanted to send him on a flight to Western Province.

“Luckily Steve Abana followed behind the vehicle and got Tora from the Government’s supporters,” our source said.

“The Government is really desperate to increase its number and resort to some kind of conning measures.”

Tora did not want to comment on this issue.

It was also reported that the Government sent some of its friend to lure Opposition members, Dickson Mua, Clay Forau and three South region MPs in Malaita, Rick Hou, John Mane and Andrew Hanaria.

Currently the number game between the Government and Opposition is locked at 24/24.
The Opposition filed a motion of no confidence to Parliament on Tuesday.

UPRISING IN EGYPT

FAQs: Egyptian crisis: How did we get here?

Online: Protest coverage on the web

Map: Protests across the region

Analysis: What’s at stake for U.S.

Profile: Mohamed ElBaradei — Egypt’s president-in-waiting?

Citizen bytes: Stories from the ground

Egypt’s largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, joined talks with Egyptian Vice-President Omar Suleiman on Sunday in an attempt to end the country’s political crisis.

Other delegates attending the discussions include members of secular opposition parties, independent legal experts, a representative of opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei and business tycoon Naguib Sawiris, according to Reuters.

The announcement by the Islamist group that it would join the negotiations was made as mass demonstrations continued for a 13th day to press for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

The officially banned organization said in a statement early Sunday it would meet with Suleiman to press its “legitimate and just demands.”

The negotiations marked the first time the Muslim Brotherhood has held direct talks with the government.

Senior Brotherhood leader Mohammed Mursi said his representatives would be sticking to the protesters’ main condition that Mubarak step down after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.

Opposition leaders from othe groups met with Suleiman on Saturday but said there was no breakthrough.

Senior government figures argue only that the president has the power to make the changes necessary to enable a free and fair election for his successor.

Mubarak has said he would not run for the presidency again in elections slated for September, but has insisted he will serve out the remaining seven months of his current term to supervise a peaceful transfer of power.

Countries such as Israel and the United States have been worried that the anti-government protests would end with an Islamist government eventually running the country.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Assam el-Aryan said his party won’t contest the next election, but it will help with the transition of power.

“We are ready for any duty, any burden that can be given to us as a task for the future of our country,” he said.

On Saturday, Hossam Badrawi — who is known as a reformer — replaced Safwat El Sherif, who resigned as general secretary of the ruling National Democratic Party. At the same time the president’s son, Gamal Mubarak, stepped down as head of the party’s policies committee.

Anti-government demonstrators, meanwhile, are continuing to occupy Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The military has been attempting to re-open the square, but protesters have blocked some soldiers from moving into the area and some are lying on the ground in front of the tanks.

Late into the night, the army set up check points farther away from the square in central Cairo. The CBC’s David Common reported saw the army confiscating food and other supplies and has heard they are turning away cars but letting pro-government supporters through.

Earlier Saturday, army commander Hassan al-Roweny made a direct plea for protesters to leave the central square in Cairo. The crowd shouted him down when he told them they were hurting the country, and he soon stepped down from the podium, saying he would not continue talk over their chants.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/06/egypt.html#ixzz1DBCm0YTR

What do the Egyptian papers have to say about all the ruckus?

check it out:

http://www.egyptnews.net/

my personal favorite here:

Defiant schoolboy warriors holding pro-Mubarak forces at bay
Egypt News.Net
Saturday 5th February, 2011 (ANI)
Anti-Hosni Mubarak protestors are defying the snipers of the tyrant Egyptian regime with the help of catapults, and leading from the front are schoolboy rebels who showed off their battlefield injuries.

Twelve-year-old Mohammed Ghozlan told how he struck back when police sharpshooters blew out the brains of comrades at his side in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

Mohammed was felled when a rock smashed his head, but it did not stop him. The heavily bandaged youngster pulled a homemade slingshot from his pocket and said: “When Mubarak’s men came and the shooting started I fought back with this.”

“I could shoot stones much further than men could throw them. I helped hold back the attackers. I heard the shooting but was so excited I just carried on firing even after I was hit,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

“Men saw I was bleeding and dragged me back to have my head bandaged. Other youngsters did battle with catapults. I will fight again if we have to,” Mohammed said.

Last night, Mubarak (82) refused to end his 30-year regime despite the huge protest.

Mohammed said: “My dad encouraged me to fight. He said everyone must fight until Mubarak goes. I sleep here, I eat here, I will stay here. We all have to fight for our future.”

Businessman Khaled, 44, said: “I am proud he is fighting for his future. It is dangerous for a child but he wants to stay to fight.”

Mohammed’s pal Sulaiman (14) joined him on the front line when protesters forced back pro-Mubarak forces in violent clashes on Thursday, The Sun reports.

“Everyone joined the fighting – men, women and children like me – and we won. A rock hit me in the mouth but, thanks to God, I was not badly hurt and am ready to fight on,” he said. (ANI)

what is the latest…

Best of the Week: Egyptians prove they are a democracy

Egyptian protests continue; turn violent

The most famous protests of our times continue unabated in Egypt.

During the week, embattled President Mubarak fired his cabinet, appointed new ministers, tried to get the army to enforce martial law, tired to enter negotiations with the opposition and even offered to step down when his term was complete in September.

The protestors offered to stop their agitation and go home peacefully only if Mubarak quit office with immediate effect and preferably left the country as well.

Mubarak’s stand stems from his belief that the country will dissolve into chaos if he does not set up an orderly transition.

The protestors’ stand arises from the fact that they were not born yesterday and refused to allow the spirit of their protests to be dissipated on the strength of weak promises.

In a sad note however, the protests have been steadily declining into more violence with the numbers of the dead and the injured steadily increasing in clashes. Even the army, which made no move to oppose the protests earlier, began to get uneasy and asked the protestors to calm down.

But the protests have been hailed as the first new-age protest where the youth of a nation, coupled with modern social media, organised mass protests. So a definite sign of changing times in the Middle-East. Egypt has proven through a million voices that it is indeed a democracy.

and as quickly as it came, as quickly it disappears… like magic…

These are well worth a look-see…

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/cyclone-yasi-pictures/

Real, real cheap?

G’day Mike – all ok here… We survived cyclone yasi, though right now we have no power and phones (landline and mobiles) are down (I’ll send this from a friend’s house when I can). We still have a water supply though so things are not too bad!

Talk to you later when circumstances are a bit better….

All the best,

This allows us to see how much influence the weather system named Yasi has…

The “eye” of the storm is at Mission Beach, Qld. The yellow colour shows the weather being sucked into the low pressure of the cyclone. This front technically covers thousands of miles.

Sore lo Aus but very impressive…

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/cairns-avoids-worst-of-winds-20110203-1ae3z.html