Honiaran Perspectives on Effective Governance in the Solomon Islands

Honiaran Perspectives on Effective Governance in the Solomon Islands

The focus of this thesis is to assess and evaluate the understanding and effectiveness of the current system of governance within the communities living in the urban and peri-urban areas of Honiara City, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. It explores the perspectives of Honiarans on governance and issues currently affecting good governance, what they consider effective governance, and alternative models of governance. It explores the ideas Honiarans have about federalism and the devolution of power from the existing centralised model. The study investigates themes surrounding leadership models, corruption in government, and the role of social and political elites as well as issues surrounding the electoral process, including ballot manipulation and coercion. External factors and actors, including foreign owned companies, aid from donor states and the influence of foreign states in the nation’s governance were also considered. Key to the analysis of this thesis is an investigation of the relationship between contemporary and customary ideas about governance. This study discusses the complexities of customary tradition and examines the positive and negative impacts of this on governance. It also explores the necessity of integrating customary tradition into governance, particularly regarding land ownership and management issues. The thesis explores how Honiarans regard customary and contemporary forms of authority, how they visualise the role of both forms in relationship to one another as well as the role of both within the country’s extant mechanisms of contemporary governance. Honiarans offered their views on constitutional and electoral reform, changes to voting, and direct election of Prime Ministers. They express their frustration and ways to resolve broader economic and socio-cultural reforms, such as land management, health care and unemployment. The outcome of any of these reforms; political or otherwise, depends entirely upon what Honiarans would argue would be the most important reform of all, the omnipresent existential threat of corruption.