“United we are strong – United we will win.”
The Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare has spoken to the nation following the declaration of a State of Public Emergency made by the Governor General, Sir David Vunagi, GCMG last week in relation to the threat posed by COVID 19.
Prime Minister Sogavare identified six essential restriction orders that effectively have closed down the country’s borders and rendered the capital, Honiara, an emergency zone.
In his national address, Prime Minister Sogavare said, “If there is any fight to be fought together by all of us it is the fight against Covid 19. We are all in this together let us all work and cooperate together to fight our common enemy.”
It has been seen as courageous for the government to have imposed strict quarantine measures at a time when some countries have dismissed such moves as an overreaction.
The Prime Minister has boldly summoned a call for national unity at a time of crisis and cited the words of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s war time leader when he, too, called on the British people to demonstrate unity and courage in tackling a common threat.
To deliver the most effective coronavirus response possible there must be national unity and cross party cooperation.
The Solomon Islands Government has called on the people to make some very considerable changes to their lives, to abide by the restrictions placed on their movements, habits and social interaction. It is only right that the Government stays firm and stands behind the people as the changes are implemented and enforced.
I urge the people of the Solomon Islands to accept the temporary sacrifices of their freedom of movement and assembly and to show to the watching world how together the fight against coronavirus can be won.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
