Monday 6 December 2021

Solomon Islands Prime Minister survives vote of no confidence

 

I have been following this since the morning.


I had to leave the Parliament session but here is the latest from ABC.

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The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament, triggered by recent civil unrest.




Anti-government protests last month set fire to buildings and looted stores in the capital.


Around 200 troops and police from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand are helping keep the peace at the request of the Solomon Islands government.


Opposition leader Matthew Wale told Parliament he brought the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare because he had repeatedly lied to the people and used Chinese money to cling to power.


Wale described a nation plagued by unemployment, exploited resources and "looting at the top."


But in a fiery 90-minute response, Sogavare said 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.


"If I resign, sir, it would be a message to our young children and youth, Mr. Speaker, that whenever we are not happy with those in authority, we take the laws into our own hands," Sogavare said.


The motion was defeated on Monday afternoon following a lengthy debate in Parliament.


15 voting in favour, 32 against the no-confidence motion, with two abstentions.


-AP/ABC

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