The Prime Minister says the way communities in the country have been governed under traditional leadership must be recognized.
Dr Derek Sikua says the planned constitutional reform recognizes that communities in the Solomon Islands had always had political or government structures and institutions - hence the idea of community governments becoming the third tier of the proposed federal system of government.The other two tiers of government under the Constitutional reform exercise are the Federal and State governments.
Prime Minister Sikua says what needs to be done now is giving due recognition to these indigenous institutions or structures, as well as formally ensuring their inclusion in the community government constitutions.
He says the community government constitutions will be left for future state governments to take care of.