Mr. Augustine made the appeal in light of the current political turmoil in the country.

He extended his appeal to those within the Opposition to lay aside all differences and carry out their obligations in a more productive and cooperative manner for the benefit of the nation as a whole.

Mr. Augustine said that considering the circumstances surrounding the political situation in the country, "particularly the actions taken by the Opposition", implications are that certain political figures are out solely for their own interests.

Without making any efforts to conceal his strong support of the Prime Minister and the government, Mr. Augustine went on to say that attempts currently in process to strip Sogavare of power was unjustified.

He said that for the Opposition to deem Sogavare as unfit to lead and his policies impractical, "steps should be taken on their part to 'lay their card on the table' with their potential candidate for the seat in government, as well as all their proposed implementation policies for the country".