Page 11 - IB April 2018

Political Brief

PNA terminates former CEO’s contract

By Netani Rika “I received an email from my
successor. It was a short email.
MAJURO, Marshall Islands - The Parties to the Nauru Agree- It said my response to your
ment have terminated the services of former Chief Executive request to extend your con-
Officer, Dr Transform Aqorau. sultancy contract is attached,”
In August 2016 Aqorau, from Solomon Islands – was replaced Aqorau said.
by Ludwig Kumoru - Deputy Managing Director of Papua New “I opened the attachment. It
Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority. contained two paragraphs; both
But Aqorau was retained by the PNA – whose members are short. In the first paragraph he
the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, thanked me for my work. In
Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu the second paragraph he simply
-- control the world’s largest sustainable tuna purse seine fish- said, I have officially decided
ery – for an 18-month transition period. not to renew your contract. You
When Aqorau’s contract lapsed in January this year, he con- may claim your fees for work.”
tinued to work for the PNA in several key regional meetings Aqorau said he was disap-
including a special officials meeting and a ministerial session pointed at the manner in which
in February, followed by Leaders’ Summit involving Heads of PNA former Chief Executive Officer, Dr his services were terminated,
Transform Aqorau. Photo: Giff Johnson
States, Governments and Ministers from member countries. given that he had been instru-
A series of PNA meetings was then held in Nauru in March. mental in building the PNA from its conception.
Aqorau said he then wrote to Kumoru seeking clarification “I feel excited about the future and am intent to apply myself
on his employment. with the same vigour that I devoted to the establishment of
“I assumed that I had a made a valuable contribution and that the PNA Office. I don’t begrudge my successor for the decision
the Office would continue to require legal advice as many of the that he made; he is perfectly entitled and empowered to make
Parties’ recommendations had legal implications,” Aqorau said. that decision.
“I emailed my successor and attached a revised contract “The manner in which he informed me about it is his burden,
reducing the number of days that I would commit to the PNA not mine. It is blessing. though and it is better to be looking in
Office in the Marshall Islands.” from outside than to be stuck inside looking out. The lesson
Aqorau said he was shocked by Kumoru’s response. is, ensure your options are always open.”

leaving a heavier ash fall than the eruption last year. It said three acquiesced and allowed her teenage son to travel with her. Fate-
communities had been relocated and the central government meh, 55, has been living in Nauru’s regional processing centre at
has been asked for help. The office’s operations manager Peter “high and imminent risk of heart attack or sudden death,” accord-
Korisa said the main request has been for food and water, with ing to doctors. Border Force had approved her medical transfer
ashfall affecting the local supply. Korisa said the NDMO now overseas, but said she could not take her son with her. Fatemeh
needed to confirm the number of people affected, as well as the refused to leave her son alone and unsupervised on the island.
volcano’s impact on water and food supplies so they can respond. He has suffered from acute mental health issues on Nauru, where
effectively. - Pacnews unaccompanied minor refugees have faced significant violence.
She and her son, who is now 17, were flown by a chartered jet
Rugby and boxing not for girls to Taipei at Australian government expense. - Pacnews
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga -- A women’s rights advocate in Tonga
was outraged last month over a letter from the Ministry of Samoa elections to go electronic
Education banning school girls from taking part in rugby and APIA, Samoa -- Voters in Samoa will cast their ballots in the
boxing. The letter addressed to a local high school said that next general elections electronically removing the current time
female students should not take part in the sports because they consuming manual voting process. But while electronic changes
took away young women’s dignity and cultural traditions. The loom, a few things will remain the same when Samoa return to
ministry late last month however has reportedly backtracked on the polls in 2021. For instance, the new electronic system will not
the directive following an intervention from the office of Prime replace the traditional voting practice mandating voters to turn
Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva. Advocate ’Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki said up in person and cast their ballots. “Electronic voting, (E-Voting)
the ministry was using culture as an excuse and she could not is not part of the project because voters will still be required to
understand the stance. She said Tongan female athletes had been turn up in person at the voting booths to cast their ballots,” said
inspirational in recent times, including New Zealand’s Teuila Electoral Commissioner, Faimalōmatumua Mathew Lemisio.
Fotu-Moala.- Pacnews The Commissioner said that one of the components in the new
system is the electronic fingerprint system that will immediately
Nauru refugee to Taiwan with son verify and confirm the voter. Electronic ballot boxes are part of
YAREN, Nauru -- An Iranian refugee who has been waiting for the change. An organisation called the World Electoral Associa-
18 months on Nauru for critical heart surgery has been flown to tion in South Korea is paying for the changes estimated to cost
Taiwan for life-saving operation after the Australian Border Force US$2.28m (WST5.8 m).- Pacnews

Islands Business, April 2018 11