By MARY-LOUISE OCALLAGHAN
HONIARA - The Solomon Islands will formally ask South Pacific nations this weekend to lead an armed intervention into the troubled South Pacific nation, paving the way for the deployment of up to 2000 troops and police in the next few weeks.
The request follows approval by the Kemakeza cabinet of the Australian Government's conditions for the intervention.
It reverses plans for the Solomon Islands National Parliament to meet next week to endorse the intervention before any formal request is made.
And it follows concerns that members of Parliament might be subject to intimidation before next week's session if the formal request was solely dependent on the outcome of the parliamentary session.
Instead Parliament will debate a motion endorsing the formal request and then consider the legislation to enable the deployment of expatriate troops.
The Solomons Cabinet is understood to have approved the formal text of a letter to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and other regional heads of Government requesting the intervention.
This is expected to be signed by the Governor-General, John Ini Lapli, on his return to the capital, Honiara, this weekend and be sent before Monday's celebrations of the Solomons' 25th anniversary of independence.
"The letter is written, the signature is just a formality," one senior Government official said yesterday.
The letter accepts the two conditions stipulated by Canberra for intervention - a clear and formal request from the Solomons and the passage of legislation by the Solomons' Parliament.
Under the Australian plan an Australian police officer is to act as deputy to the Police Commissioner in Honiara.
New Zealand is expected to contribute a total of 300 police and peacekeepers to the intervention force.
Herald Feature: Solomon Islands
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