(PINA/IFEX) – “Solomon Star”, the main newspaper of Solomon Islands, has protested concerning efforts to hold swearing-in ceremonies of two new government ministers in secret, preventing journalists from covering the occasion. In a 25 September 1998 editorial, the newspaper wrote: “Events this week in which the media had been barred from covering the swearing in […]
(PINA/IFEX) – “Solomon Star”, the main newspaper of Solomon Islands, has
protested concerning efforts to hold swearing-in ceremonies of two new
government ministers in secret, preventing journalists from covering the
occasion. In a 25 September 1998 editorial, the newspaper wrote: “Events
this week in which the media had been barred from covering the swearing in
ceremony of two government ministers at the Government House were quite
disturbing — not only to the media practitioners but also to the public who
have the right to know what their leaders and their government are doing …
One of the important roles of the media is to inform people of what their
leaders and the government are doing. This role must be maintained at all
times in a democratic country like Solomon Islands.”
The new ministers being sworn in were members of parliament who had defected
from the opposition. It came before an opposition motion of no-confidence in
the government, which the government later defeated. “Solomon Star” quoted
a government official as saying the attempt to hold the swearing in
ceremonies in secret was necessary because of threats to one of the men.
