226 THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· SPRING 1995

Atoll Politics: The Republic of Kiri­bati, edited by Howard Van Trease.Christchurch: Macmillan BrownCentre for Pacific Studies, Universityof Canterbury and Suva: Institute ofPacific Studies, University of the SouthPacific, 1993. ISBN 982-02-0081-4,XX + 392 pages, tables, maps, figures,photographs, appendixes, glossary,notes, bibliography, index. ClothNZ$34.90; paper Nz$29.25.

and the pursuit of self-reliance (chap­ter 29).

The book generally does not grap­ple with the conflicts between culture,politics, economics, and the environ­ment. The relatively large volumes ofinternational assistance have helpedthe government to postpone manypainful compromises and have helpedto perpetuate certain contemporarydevelopment myths. Given these cir­cumstances, the country's achieve-

Written primarily by I-Kiribati, Atoll ments are all the more noteworthy.Politics assembles wide-ranging and A major issue-one that urgentlyforthright views that focus on the 1991 warrants attention but is largely over-elections and related development looked by the book-is the conflictissues. This period was crucial for between the economic force of the tra-Kiribati politics and encompassed ditional maneaba system and that ofthe transformation from the succes- the emerging private sector. A newsive governments of the popular economic system obviously has tofirst president, Ieremia Tabai, to a evolve-a system that will bothnew government under Teatao advance the commitment to self-reli-Teannaki. ance, based not only on atoll subsis-

The thirty-four chapters of Atoll tence but also on trade, and minimizePolitics cover the history of Kiribati social costs. "In the minds of the Kiri-pollticS;-theper-sonal viewsoHne -- -bati people;economicano social-country's leading politicians, the 1991 equality are supposed to be contribu-elections, and an extensive review of tions of the gods" (27). Again, "theredevelopment and social issues. The are no concentrations of great wealthbook also documents the emerging and, while individual achievement issophistication of the country's political admired, the flaunting of personalsystem. Many other important issues superiority or promotion of oneself inare discussed including the I-Kiribati public is usually not well received"commitment to their maneaba (com- (83). These traditions stand in starkmunity meetinghouse) system of gov- contrast to the increasingly vibranternment, the struggle of the govern- indigenous private sector based inment to expand the economy, and the South Tarawa. With the exception ofmounting social, environmental, and the comments of the current presidentwelfare concerns. Notable achieve- in chapter 28, the book virtuallyments discussed include the prudent ignores this particular entrepreneurialmanagement of both the Revenue activity, but given its existence, the ref-Equalization Reserve Fund and the erence to a "scarcity of entrepreneur-budget (chapter 14), the fortitude to ship" (161) is not justified.reject imperfect aid (chapter 20), Nevertheless, the maneaba ethic

BOOK REVIEWS

combined with public service controlhas not encouraged private entrepre­neurship to date. Regarding control ofthe public service, the chapter onrestraints to business (chapter 19)could have been far more critical of thepolicies of previous governments thatfavored state capitalism. Althoughrecent governments have endorsed thevogue for greater commitment to theprivate sector, and for commercializingand privatizing some governmentholdings, the manner in which thisnew policy will be implemented has yetto unfold. For example, to what extentwill the government continue to viewthe use of public funds to finance thepurchase of ships that compete withprivate shipping as "normal commer­cial practice" (59)?

Much modern construction andother investment has degraded theatoll environment, which is nowheremore apparent than on South Tarawa.Chapters I I and 27 reference this clas­sic-conflIct bur-ofTer-iIC; guidance~foi---new policy. There is little evidence thatthe national government can protectthe urban environment in the way inwhich the unimane 'respected old men'have traditionally conserved the islandenvironment. The authors' failure toaddress these conflicting interests andto comment on likely alternative poli­cies is frustrating.

The traditional myths and legendsof Kiribati have been augmented bymodern myths of development. Forexample, repeated optimistic refer­ences to a vast marine resource over­look the fact that, except for thefishing license fees that are restricted toa nominal rent, Kiribati, like nearly allcountries in the Pacific, has not suc-

227

ceeded in its expensive and protractedefforts to develop an indigenous com­mercial fishery. The country's exclusiveeconomic zone may contain theresource, but Kiribati is situated farfrom the markets. Moreover, the coun­try does not possess the required tech­nology, skills, and billion-dollar riskcapital. A comparative resource advan­tage may be a comparative economicdisadvantage when it comes to devel­oping a domestic commercial fishery.In addition, describing government­run fisheries and other ventures as"commercial" (170) not only uses amisleading term but is also unsoundeconomic policy.

Although the government cannotclaim many resource development suc­cesses, its welfare programs have faredbetter. Regarding education it is unfairto state that "there has been littleeffort to re-examine the old model"(249). The early community vocationalschools and Tarawa Technical Institute~ntroduced new-e(r~cationalinitiati~e~,

and the Asian Development Bank'svocational training review of 1986,and studies by the Australian Interna­tional Development Assistance Bureau,proposed steps toward more effectiveeducation.

Although the economic overview inchapter 12 suggests otherwise, theKiribati economic situation is not com­parable to that of other economies thatinvest and trade on the basis of theirown foreign exchange reserves, cur­rency, and goodwill. The nationalinvestment and trade deficits are gener­ated by aid-not a justification for it.Is aid dependency therefore desirableor undesirable? Former PresidentTabai comments that the partial clo-

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228 THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· SPRING 1995

sure of the heavily aid-funded Te Mau­tari (the national "commercial" fishingcompany) may have been a blessing indisguise in that its workers subse­quently became more committed toworking for the company. What ifmore aid were to be withheld orrejected?

The book's comments regarding dis­tributions of the earnings of the Reve­nue Equalization Reserve Fund shouldtake account of the nature of this asset,where the country has few other"earners," as well as the nature of theI-Kiribati commitment to forgoingconsumption. As the president states,"the Reserve Fund is seen as an insur­ance which should not be squandered.It is a sort of security which the coun­try has built up over several years withgreat sacrifice" (306). The real issuethen is when, and for which invest­ments, can the fund feasibly finance adirect investment in the domestic econ­omy? For example, while social wel-

- -Iare-c-an-5e-illiprov-ed, tfiefunacannot-provide US standards of health andeducation.

Policy compromises may be post­poned and development myths mayprevail, but it is encouraging to readthe candid overviews by two of thelongest-serving cabinet members, Pres­ident Teannaki and Vice President Iuta.Overall the book makes a substantialcontribution toward a more completeunderstanding of the vulnerability andstrengths, trials and achievements ofKiribati politics and development.

STEPHEN J POLLARD

East-West Center

~:-

Planning the Future: Melanesian Citiesin 2010, by John Connell and John PLea. Pacific 2010 series. Pacific PolicyPaper II. Canberra: National Centrefor Development Studies, AustralianNational University, 1993. ISBN0-73 I 5-1694-X; ISSN 0817-0444.Paper, A$25'

This book is the second in a series,edited by Rodney Cole of the Devel­opment Studies Centre at the Austra-lian National University, of "dooms­day" forewarnings about the PacificIslands. The series is funded by theAustralian International DevelopmentAssistance Bureau, a governmentagency. With luck, many of us willstill be around to see whether theforewarnings come true. The primefocus of the series, as indicated by theeditorial note, "highlights the conse­quences of failing to recognize andplan for the effects of populationgrowth." The target audiences arelsland-Ieaders-and-"tnos-eln -metropoli- ---tan countries responsible for the designand delivery of Overseas DevelopmentAssistance. "

With the publication of this policy­related series, Australia seems poisedto join Hawai'i, including the PacificIslands Development Program at theEast-West Center, as a second majorsource of advice for Pacific Island lead­ers who may, of course (and this issometimes not fully recognized), alsodefer to their own departmentaladvice, their own consultants, andtheir own regional bodies and universi­ties. The insider-outsider research fieldis spiked with mines that may preventthe Australian National University