KEY POINTS:
Beleaguered Ngai Tahu leader Mark Solomon will stay on as chairman of the South Island's largest iwi in a compromise deal announced today that is intended to end bitter tribal in-fighting.
After closed-door board meetings over the weekend Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu deputy kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Donald Couch announced today he would be taking a "more active role in tribal governance matters" until elections involving all runanga representatives scheduled for November.
Mr Solomon would remain as chairman, but Mr Couch would chair runanga meetings, represent the runanga on the interim group board and act as spokesman.
Announcing the decisions at Ngai Tahu headquarters in Te Wai Pounamu House in Christchurch this afternoon, Mr Couch said the new approach had been mandated by the board.
"This board is committed to unifying the table and the decisions of the board will move the iwi forward in a positive constructive way," he said.
Issues the board had been facing were at a "leadership level only" and had not affected the success of the iwi's day-to-day business.
"We have a strong management team in place," Mr Couch said.
"In the last 10 months we have made significant progress in our commercial operations as well as the delivery of some innovative cultural and social programmes for the iwi. This is on track to continue," he said.
Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu oversees management of the iwi's $500 million of assets on behalf of its 37,000 tribal members.
Constant leadership quarrels over the past three years were understood to have split the board, which is made up of 18 runanga (local council) representatives, with some iwi members saying the wrangling had damaged the tribe's mana "to a disastrous degree".
Mr Solomon said last month he had rejected an exit package reported to be include a $300,000 payout.
In a joint statement last month, three prominent and respected leaders urged an end to the bitter in-fighting.
Kaumatua Sir Tipene O'Regan, Rakiihia Tau, and Ngai Tahu Group board chairman Wally Stone said they were "deeply concerned" at the distress caused to Ngai Tahu staff, beneficiaries and runanga over the "undignified behaviour" aired in the media.
Today, Mr Couch said had been asked to step in because the "two definite points of view" regarding Mr Solomon's leadership was becoming "increasingly counter-productive".
It was decided the way forward was to reach a compromise.
"And I guess I have a track record of being in the middle of those sorts of things."
Mr Couch said Mr Solomon's role would continue in a "variety of activities".
He said he had spoken with Mr Solomon this morning and discussions would continue.
Mr Solomon had not taken part in discussions on the leadership. The board had voted 14-to-one in favour of the compromise, with three abstentions, one of them Mr Solomon.
Mr Couch said there was a consensus at the weekend meeting with everyone accepting that the board would seek a renewal of its mandate at elections in November, "earlier if possible".
In the "nature of elections" it was unlikely that all 18 representatives would be returned and there would then be an election for both kaiwhakahaere and deputy.
Mr Couch said he definitely wouldn't stand for election as kaiwhakahaere, but had yet to decide if he would put his name forward again as deputy.
"We think that we've resolved, until November, the leadership issue and the role of the kaiwhakahaere. Our priority now is to get the voting system sorted and get those elections done."
- NZPA
