Solomon Islands prime minister wins no-confidence vote after riots

Locals walk past destroyed buildings in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Monday. Pic/AP

The leader of the Solomon Islands survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Monday following riots in the capital last month.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told lawmakers in a fiery 90-minute speech that he'd done nothing wrong and would not bow down to "the forces of evil" or to "Taiwan's agents." At one point he picked up his chair and banged it on the Parliament floor to emphasize a point.

Opponents accused him and his government of lying, looting and using Chinese money to cling to power during a debate over a no-confidence motion brought by opposition leader Matthew Wale. In the end, Sogavare easily had the numbers, winning 32 votes to 15, with two abstentions.

China, meanwhile, said it was shipping in aid for its citizens caught up in the violence.

Many businesses remained closed in the capital, Honiara, ahead of the vote over concerns that violence could erupt again, leading to an eerie calm.

The riots in Honiara grew from a peaceful protest and highlighted long-simmering regional rivalries, economic problems and concerns about the country's increasing links with China. Rioters set fire to buildings and looted stores.

Troops and police from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand have been helping keep the peace at the request of the Solomon Islands government.

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