Troops in Solomons expected home soon

NZ Defence Force personnel patrol Honiara's burned-out Chinatown. Picture / Greg Bowker

New Zealand troops and police rushed to quell rioting in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, could be brought home if this week's new election goes peacefully.

Widespread violence broke out two weeks ago after the controversial election of Snyder Rini as the country's Prime Minister. Troops were flown in from around the Pacific to restore order, but not before large areas of Chinatown - the heart of the city's commercial district - were destroyed.

Mr Rini stood down last week, and this Thursday Solomons MPs will elect a new leader. The contest is expected to be a close race between former Planning Minister Fred Fono, and Opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the law and order position in Honiara seemed to be "immensely better", and she hoped peace would be maintained during this week's contest.

"All going smoothly, those who have sent extra forces across of course would expect to draw them down. I understand the Fiji police may already have gone, and certainly we're actively looking at which point we would draw down."

New Zealand has 192 personnel in the Solomons - 125 from the Defence Force and 67 police. Of those, 108 were urgent reinforcements for Ramsi, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.

Helen Clark said she expected Ramsi officials would meet the new Government to ensure its presence was still welcome.

"That's then an opportunity to talk about the objectives of the mission again. I would be surprised, frankly, if they change very much."

Ramsi enjoyed popular local support when it intervened in the Solomons in the midst of a civil war in 2003, but it has come under increasing pressure since last month's riots. Many locals blame it for failing to protect the 60 Honiara businesses torched in the two-day rampage.

But Helen Clark said that when she spoke two weeks ago to 13 of 15 Pacific Island Forum heads of government, all expressed strong support for the mission.

"The Pacific Island Forum has invested a lot of political capital in the Solomon Islands and wants to see support for the Solomons through to greatly improving on where it is now. The idea is afloat of the forum itself sending a high-level political mission, and I'm sure that will happen."

Leaders were also concerned at the economic damage the rioting had inflicted. Solomons media estimates the Government could lose up to 75 per cent of its revenue.

Discussions on what form of economic aid could be given to the Solomons would take place after a new Government was in place.

"I'm told that the economic damage from the virtual razing of Chinatown is quite substantial," she said.

"After the new Government has its feet under the table that will be the time for New Zealand Aid, AusAid, the European Union, and others engaged in supporting the Solomons to start to look at those economic issues."