Solomon Islands PM's stepdown fuels tension

By AUDREY YOUNG and PATRICK GOWER

New Zealand will not step up its military presence in the Solomon Islands, amid continued anxiety after the resignation of Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu.

Both Australia and New Zealand have refused to send troops to the islands, saying it would only deepen the crisis.

Air Force planes will maintain an "air bridge" out of the islands while the frigate Te Mana is docked in the Solomon's capital Honiara in case of emergency.

And the frigate Te Kaha will travel to the Solomon Islands this week, said Defence spokesman Warren Inkster. It will replace Te Mana as a "reassuring presence" for the remaining New Zealanders and Honiara residents.

Mr Ulufa'alu resigned on Tuesday night in a bid to end the political crisis sparked by the coup attempt and ethnic fighting.

Father John Ini Lapli, Solomon Islands Governor-General, said he had accepted Ulufa'alu's resignation with regret.

The Solomon Islands has been racked by its worst unrest in 22 years of independence as rival militias from Malaita and Guadalcanal islands struggle for dominance.

Australian Defence Minister John Moore, who was in Wellington yesterday, said any help by Australia and New Zealand in the Solomon Islands was on hold until a political resolution was found.

"In the end, we stand ready to help. But we must know exactly what the Solomon Islanders want to do, how they propose to carry it out and where we would fit into it ... and where the exit is. There must be always an exit strategy otherwise you are left in a lingering position which is no good to anybody."

Foreign Minister Phil Goff has ruled out military intervention by New Zealand - but not peacekeepers once a settlement between the warring factions is found.

Mr Moore said he hoped a resolution would be found when the Solomon Islands' Parliament met today.

But the islands' state minister, Alfred Sasako, threw doubt on the meeting's going ahead after Mr Ulufa'alu's resignation.

He said the people felt let down by the refusal to intervene now.

"If everyone is serious about protecting the principles of democracy, then I think that sort of assistance should be forthcoming.

"Not only the Government, but the law-abiding citizens of the Solomon Islands have felt utterly let down. Our system of law and order has totally collapsed, so everyone is vulnerable."

But Mr Moore said: "The Solomons' future is ultimately a political settlement that can only be effected in the Solomon Islands by the people who live there.

"Once a way ahead is seen then I'm sure the Australian Government and the New Zealand Government will be prepared to assist."