Andrew Nori
Encyclopedia
Andrew Nori is a Solomon Islands
lawyer and politician, arguably best known for his role in the ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal
in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His father, Nori Nono'oohimae, was one of the founders of the Maasina Ruru
movement of civil disobediance against British colonial rule, in the 1940s.
A barrister
by profession, Andrew Nori was "one of the first Solomon Islanders to qualify as a lawyer", and eventually became president of the Solomon Islands bar association
.
He began his political career when he was elected to the National Parliament in the 1984 general election
, as MP for the West 'Are'are constituency
. Prime Minister Sir Peter Kenilorea
appointed him Minister for Home Affairs and Provincial Government, a position which he held for four years. He was re-elected in 1989, and, as head of the Nationalist Front for Progress, was for a time appointed Leader of the Official Opposition
to Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni
's government. Re-elected to Parliament for a third term in 1993, he was appointed Minister for Finance in Prime Minister Francis Billy Hilly
's government. In September 1994, he resigned in the face of reports that over A$
70,000 had been transferred to his personal bank account from "an unnamed overseas source". He stated that he had "listed the amount with the relevant leadership code commission", but was stepping down "until his name was cleared". He did not regain his Cabinet position, and was defeated in his bid to retain his Parliament seat in the 1997 general election. This marked the end of his career in national politics.
When migrants from Malaita
in Guadalcanal
began to be subject to violence from local ethnic militant groups in late 1999, and the armed Malaita Eagle Force
was formed to defend their interests, Nori, himself a Malaitan, rapidly emerged as the "leader" or "spokesman" of the Eagle Force.
On 5 June 2000, he led the Eagle Force into a coup d'état
against Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu
, taking him hostage at gunpoint and demanding that he resign. Nori accused Ulufa'alu of not having prevented an escalation in the ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal. The Eagle Force was temporarily described as "in control" of the capital city, Honiara
. Nori told the Australian media he had led the coup because there was "a need for an immediate change in leadership and for the issues relating to peace to be focussed on more seriously and for a more efficient method and mechanism to be established to attend to peace issues and on the negotiation between the warring parties on Guadalcanal". The coup rapidly led to the arrival of a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
delegation, which was welcomed by Nori, who expressed his hope that it would result in peace being brokered between the ethnic factions. Parliament voted to elect Manasseh Sogavare
to the premiership, replacing Ulufa'alu, and the ethnic conflicts ceased for the most part with the Townsville Peace Agreement
in October.
In September 2000, the Pacific Media Watch
accused Nori of having threatened journalist Duran Angiki and his family over an allegedly incorrect report published by the latter on Nori.
In 2009, still practicing as a lawyer, Nori made headlines again by publicly criticising the Political Parties Registration and Administration Bill, saying it would entrench rather than resolve political instability in the country.
As of early 2011, he was working as a consultant to the Customary Land Reform Unit, researching rules of customary land ownership throughout the country with an aim towards a government policy "to codify customary land laws and have them elevated to statutory status".
Andrew Nori's wife, Delmah Nori, founded the Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party
in 2010. She is also the former president of the Solomon Islands Netball Association.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
lawyer and politician, arguably best known for his role in the ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His father, Nori Nono'oohimae, was one of the founders of the Maasina Ruru
Maasina Ruru
Maasina Ruru was an emancipation movement for self-government and self-determination during and after World War II, 1945–1950, credited with creating the movement towards independence for the Solomon Islands...
movement of civil disobediance against British colonial rule, in the 1940s.
A barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
by profession, Andrew Nori was "one of the first Solomon Islanders to qualify as a lawyer", and eventually became president of the Solomon Islands bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
.
He began his political career when he was elected to the National Parliament in the 1984 general election
Solomon Islands general election, 1984
General elections were held in the Solomon Islands on 24 October 1984. A total of 230 candidates contested the election, the result of which was a victory for the Solomon Islands United Party, which won 13 of the 38 seats, despite receiving fewer votes than the People's Alliance Party.-Results:...
, as MP for the West 'Are'are constituency
Constituencies in Solomon Islands
There are 50 constituencies in Solomon Islands, each electing one Member of Parliament to the National Parliament. Elections are held every four years; the most recent took place on April 5, 2006...
. Prime Minister Sir Peter Kenilorea
Peter Kenilorea
Sir Peter Kenilorea KBE is a Solomon Islands politician, officially styled The Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea as a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom....
appointed him Minister for Home Affairs and Provincial Government, a position which he held for four years. He was re-elected in 1989, and, as head of the Nationalist Front for Progress, was for a time appointed Leader of the Official Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Solomon Islands)
The Leader of the Opposition in Solomon Islands is a Member of Parliament who commands a large minority of his peers, united in loyal opposition to government...
to Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni
Solomon Mamaloni
Solomon Mamaloni was the second Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands three times:* August 31, 1981 - November 19, 1984* March 28, 1989 - June 18, 1993* November 7, 1994 - August 27, 1997...
's government. Re-elected to Parliament for a third term in 1993, he was appointed Minister for Finance in Prime Minister Francis Billy Hilly
Francis Billy Hilly
Francis Billy Hilly CMG is a Solomon Islands politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 18 June 1993 to 7 November 1994. He represented the Ranogga/Simbo Constituency in the National Parliament from 1976 to 1984, and has represented the constituency again since 1993...
's government. In September 1994, he resigned in the face of reports that over A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
70,000 had been transferred to his personal bank account from "an unnamed overseas source". He stated that he had "listed the amount with the relevant leadership code commission", but was stepping down "until his name was cleared". He did not regain his Cabinet position, and was defeated in his bid to retain his Parliament seat in the 1997 general election. This marked the end of his career in national politics.
When migrants from Malaita
Malaita
Malaita is the largest island of the Malaita Province in the Solomon Islands. A tropical and mountainous island, Malaita's pristine river systems and tropical forests have not been exploited. Malaita is the most populous island of the Solomon Islands, with 140,000 people or more than a third of the...
in Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
began to be subject to violence from local ethnic militant groups in late 1999, and the armed Malaita Eagle Force
Malaita Eagle Force
Malaita Eagles Force is a militant organization, originating in the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands.It was set up during 'The Tension' in the Solomons, which were mainly centred on Guadalcanal, to defend diasporic Malaitans in Guadalcanal and the property of Malaitans that have left the...
was formed to defend their interests, Nori, himself a Malaitan, rapidly emerged as the "leader" or "spokesman" of the Eagle Force.
On 5 June 2000, he led the Eagle Force into a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu
Bartholomew Ulufa'alu
Bartholomew Ulufa'alu was the fifth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 27 August 1997 to 30 June 2000....
, taking him hostage at gunpoint and demanding that he resign. Nori accused Ulufa'alu of not having prevented an escalation in the ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal. The Eagle Force was temporarily described as "in control" of the capital city, Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
. Nori told the Australian media he had led the coup because there was "a need for an immediate change in leadership and for the issues relating to peace to be focussed on more seriously and for a more efficient method and mechanism to be established to attend to peace issues and on the negotiation between the warring parties on Guadalcanal". The coup rapidly led to the arrival of a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration, abbreviated to CMAG, is a group of representatives of members of the Commonwealth of Nations that is responsible for upholding the Harare Declaration. That Declaration dictates the Commonwealth's fundamental political values, and...
delegation, which was welcomed by Nori, who expressed his hope that it would result in peace being brokered between the ethnic factions. Parliament voted to elect Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was the sixth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2007. He has served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul since 1997, and he is currently the Leader of the Opposition.-Biography:Sogavare was Permanent...
to the premiership, replacing Ulufa'alu, and the ethnic conflicts ceased for the most part with the Townsville Peace Agreement
Townsville Peace Agreement
The Townsville Peace Agreement was signed in Townsville, Australia on 15 October 2000 between the Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movement. The Agreement successfully calmed the situation in Honiara and the Islands in general after the coup d’état of June that year.-External links:*...
in October.
In September 2000, the Pacific Media Watch
Pacific Media Centre
Pacific Media Centre is part of the Creative Industries Research Institute at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. It was founded in 2007 with a mandate to develop media and journalism research in New Zealand, particularly involving Māori, Pasifika, ethnic and vernacular media topics...
accused Nori of having threatened journalist Duran Angiki and his family over an allegedly incorrect report published by the latter on Nori.
In 2009, still practicing as a lawyer, Nori made headlines again by publicly criticising the Political Parties Registration and Administration Bill, saying it would entrench rather than resolve political instability in the country.
As of early 2011, he was working as a consultant to the Customary Land Reform Unit, researching rules of customary land ownership throughout the country with an aim towards a government policy "to codify customary land laws and have them elevated to statutory status".
Andrew Nori's wife, Delmah Nori, founded the Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party
Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party
The Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party is a political party in Solomon Islands. Launched on 30 May 2010 by Delma Nori, it is the first "women's party" in the country's history. Its stated aim is "to provide a channel for mobilization of women and men who believe in a democratic process...
in 2010. She is also the former president of the Solomon Islands Netball Association.