The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was not admitted as full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) during the MSG Leaders' Summit in Honiara Thursday this week.
The issue has been deferred by the MSG leaders to later this year. This comes as great disappointment given expectations from throughout Melanesia including Vanuatu that ULMWP would be accepted as a full MSG member.In a media statement released by the Vanuatu Prime Minister's Office yesterday, it stated that the people of Vanuatu through their Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, lived up to the challenge as a leader of Melanesia for the fight to get the ULMWP in as a full member of the MSG given the precedent of decisions by consensus, and not, by votes.
Vanuatu had conceded although it was clear that 3 of the 5 MSG leaders present had wanted the admission of ULMWP as a full member.
In the foregoing the fight is not over, Vanuatu is offering to host another round of dialogue in Port Vila before the end of September 2016 to deliberate on this matter.
The Government of the Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and the people of Vanuatu are adamant that Vanuatu can set itself up to meet another bout to discuss the inclusion of the ULMWP as a full member of the MSG.
Salwai took part in the special MSG Leaders' Summit to defend the Council of Ministers Decision to endorse the application of Melanesian people of West Papua during the Honiara MSG Summit this week.
Following the decision of the Vanuatu Council of Ministers, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare who is currently the Chairman of the MSG and Spokesperson of the FLNKS of New Caledonia, Victor Tutugoro indicated to support the decision of the Vanuatu Government.
It is not the first time that Vanuatu has pushed for Melanesian People to become member of the MSG. During MSG Kanaky Leaders summit, Vanuatu took the lead to make West Papua become MSG full member but was further delayed due to differences with political grouping in West Papua.
This led to Vanuatu hosting a conference in Port Vila where all leaders of different groupings in West Papua were present in Port Vila that led to the official establishment of the ULMWP agreement.
The date for another round of talks by the MSG Leaders on the issue of admission into the MSG put forward by Vanuatu, before the end of September this year, is yet to be announced.