The Solomon Islands new Prime Minister Snyder Rini said on
Friday that he would not quit, while the opposition filed a motion
to sack him, according to local media reports.
Rini was speaking at his first news conference at the Pacific
nation's capital of Honiara since he was elected as prime minister
at Tuesday's parliamentary vote.
The vote triggered the worst rioting and looting since
Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific countries intervened by
sending troops there in 2003 to help end years of strife fightings.
Protesters claimed that the vote was fixed.
Australia and New Zealand have sent extra troops to Honiara.
As patrols kept peace on the smoldering streets, officials were
confident no new violence could erupt, Australian Associated Press
reported Friday.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that the Solomon Islands
opposition has filed a motion to sack Rini.
The opposition said it has been joined by two MPs who had been
among the 27 members that supported Rini at Tuesday's parliamentary
vote.
The parliament will sit on next Monday and a member of the newly
formed opposition party, Patteson Oti, said that he hoped the
no-confidence motion will be successful when it is put to the house
later in the week, the reports said.
Rini said at the news conference that he would not quit as
"democratically elected" prime minister or yield to the mobs.
"I'm quite sure that the sitting of parliament next week should
be alright," Rini said, accusing some of his opponents of fomenting
last week's mayhem.
He denied accusations that he had bought his way to power by
bribing MPs with money from Chinese businesses that have been
attacked by rioters.
He also announced a new cabinet line-up.
Rini alleged that some opposition politicians were behind the
riots in Chinatown and violent protests at parliament.
(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2006)
