OPMC refutes ‘PM sought support from PRC’ media claim, says the media owe PM Manele an apology

THE Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) has described a media report claiming that Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele sought assistance from the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during a dinner last week as a totally baseless allegation.

OPMC said PM Manele was invited by the PRC Ambassador Cai Weiming to a dinner at the latter’s residence and the invitation was issued well before the Motion of No Confidence was announced.

“Any reference to the dinner as a political meeting is totally off the mark and and is an attempt to stir the public in light of the upcoming Motion of No Confidence.

“The Prime Minister is a seasoned diplomat and well-versed with the Vienna Convention, in particular, Clause 41(1), which explicitly states that foreign diplomats are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of their host countries.

“The Solomon Islands ratified the Vienna Convention, and as a party to the convention, it has always adhered to the principles of this internationally recognised law.

“PM Manele, under no circumstances, will allow any other country to interfere in the domestic affairs of the country.

“The dinner was initiated by Ambassador Cai and was not a political meeting of any kind.

“Having dinner with representatives of our development partners is normal. This is where leaders can discuss development issues affecting our country.

“The media owes an apology to both the Prime Minister and the PRC Ambassador for this baseless and unfounded allegation,” the OPMC said.

“The media is urged to check the facts before publishing the story, or any stories for that matter. The Press Secretariat Office, which is responsible for the Prime Minister’s public relations and media engagements, is always ready to provide information in response to any questions or queries,” it added.