Moses Garu

The Right Honourable
Moses Garu
MP
Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 November 2011
Prime MinisterGordon Darcy Lilo
Preceded byhimself (prior to resignation)
Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification
In office
18 April 2011 – 9 November 2011
Prime MinisterDanny Philip
Preceded byMark Kemakeza
Succeeded byhimself (after 12-day vacancy)
Member of Parliament
for West Guadalcanal
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 August 2010
Preceded byLaurie Chan
Personal details
Born1 December 1969 (1969-12) (age 54)
Political partyDemocratic Party

Moses Garu (born December 1, 1969)[1] is a Solomon Islands politician. He was born in Isunavutu, West Guadalcanal, Guadalcanal Province.

With diplomas in tropical agriculture and in secondary teaching, he has worked in public service, as a school teacher, and in banking.[1] He was a bank manager at the time of the severe ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal and Malaita in the early 2000s. In May 2000, he was attacked by members of the Malaita Eagle Force with machetes and axes. They allegedly attempted to behead him, leaving him with a permanent "puckered scar on his right jaw running on down his neck". Jimmy "Rasta" Lusibaea, one of the leaders of the Eagle Force, was among those charged with attempting to murder Garu, but charges were dropped when "witnesses failed to testify".[2][3]

Garu's political career began when he was elected MP for West Guadalcanal in the August 2010 general election, representing the Democratic Party. Lusibaea was also elected to Parliament for the first time in that election, as an Independent, resulting in the two men sitting across from each other in the assembly. They "spoke at length" after the election, and were reported to have "put their past to rest", with Garu expressing no resentment over what had happened during the conflicts.[2][4][1]

With the Democratic Party becoming the main Opposition party, Garu was appointed Shadow Minister for Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs in Opposition Leader Steve Abana's Shadow Cabinet.[5] In February 2011, however, he and two other Opposition members defected to Prime Minister Danny Philip's government majority, stating that they wished to help pass the budget and defend the interests of their respective constituencies.[6] On April 18, he was appointed Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification.[7]

On November 9, 2011, he resigned and rejoined the Opposition, as part of a mass defection which brought down the Philip government two days later.[8][9] Gordon Darcy Lilo replaced Philip as Prime Minister on November 16, and reappointed Garu to his previous position five days later.[10]

  1. ^ a b c Official biography on the parliamentary website
  2. ^ a b "The getting of wisdom", Sydney Morning Herald, October 2, 2010
  3. ^ "Pas d'amnistie pour les « Aigles de Malaita »", Les Nouvelles calédoniennes, February 12, 2008
  4. ^ "SIDP rises to top" Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, August 14, 2010
  5. ^ "Abana is new Opposition leader" Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, September 1, 2010
  6. ^ "More MPs Join Government", Solomon Star, February 25, 2011
  7. ^ "New Cabinet Ministers Sworn in", Solomon Times, April 19, 2011
  8. ^ "Lilo fired" Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, 11 November 2011
  9. ^ "PM Resigns" Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, 11 November 2011
  10. ^ "Abana, Maelanga likely candidates for DPM" Archived 2011-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, 21 November 2011