We're not meddling, say police in Solomons

Police trying to restore order in the riot-torn Solomon Islands have angrily rejected accusations they are interfering in the political process.

In the past week New Zealand, Australia and Fiji have rushed extra troops to the Solomons after riots destroyed large areas of the capital, Honiara. The violence was sparked by the selection of Snyder Rini as the country's new Prime Minister.

Today, Mr Rini faces the biggest test of his fledgling Administration - a confidence vote in Parliament.

Opposition leaders have said Parliament is evenly divided between their supporters and Rini loyalists and claimed they might be able to tilt the vote in their favour.

However, the numbers have swung heavily Mr Rini's way after the arrest of three Opposition MPs for alleged involvement in last week's riots, which laid waste to Honiara's Chinatown district.

Two of those MPs, Nelson Ne'e and Charles Dausabea, are still in jail after being arrested yesterday and the third, Patrick Vahoe, has been bailed after being arrested and charged with breaching the 6pm-to-6am curfew imposed to bring calm to Honiara.

Ne'e is accused of threatening and intimidation and managing an unlawful society and Dausabea is charged with inciting a riot, threatening violence, and intimidation.

Under Solomons law, inciting a riot carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Dausabea made an appearance yesterday in court, which was ringed outside by police and soldiers.

The court was told it was clear that comments Dausabea made to a crowd outside Parliament last Tuesday had incited the rioting.

Dausabea's lawyer said the MP denied all charges and had no involvement in the rioting, but the politician was refused bail.

Despite the detention of two of its members, the Solomons Parliament met yesterday to elect a Deputy Speaker.

Opposition MPs asked Speaker Sir Peter Kenilorea to postpone the vote, but he ruled that Parliament had to go on with its business. This sparked a walkout by 23 MPs.

Before they left the chamber en masse, the MPs used the debate to claim that police were effectively deciding whether Mr Rini would keep his job by arresting his opponents.

"Police should not be interfering with the normal workings of Parliament," MP Bartholomew Ulufa'alu said. "They [the arrested MPs] are not criminals but only suspects. They should allow them to do their job in Parliament."

With the Opposition MPs absent, former Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza was elected Deputy Speaker.

Given that when Sir Allan was PM Mr Rini was his deputy, this latest development is unlikely to stem Opposition claims of clandestine manoeuvres to keep Sir Allan and his supporters in or near power.

The Solomon Islands' Police Commissioner, Australian Shane Castles, shrugged off accusations the force was interfering with what was happening in Parliament.

He told reporters that politics would not interrupt police investigations and it was "too bad" if that created problems for Parliament.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Cabinet plans to hold a wide-ranging discussion today about the Solomons situation. New Zealand has 125 soldiers and 67 police in the country, many of whom were rushed there in response to last week's troubles.

Defence Minister Phil Goff is scheduled to arrive in the Solomons tomorrow.