‘Inappropriate’ says Solomon Islands about Australian offer to fund election
- Pacific nation’s government accused Australia of trying ‘to influence how Members of Parliament will vote’ on a bill that would delay national polls by 7 months
- In April, PM Manasseh Sogavare signed a landmark security pact with Beijing, sparking intense diplomatic jostling between China, the US and its allies
Solomon Islands on Tuesday said an Australian offer to fund its next election was “inappropriate”, dismissing Canberra’s latest effort to strengthen ties with the Pacific nation as it increasingly courts Beijing.
In a statement, the Solomons government accused Australia of trying “to influence how Members of Parliament will vote” on an upcoming bill that would delay national polls by seven months.
It comes after Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a landmark security pact with Beijing in April, sparking intense diplomatic jostling between China, the United States and its allies including Australia.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed the funding offer during an interview with ABC radio on Tuesday morning.
With the vote on an election delay due as early as Thursday, the Solomons government took umbrage at the timing, saying it “was in the process of replying when the Australian Foreign Minister made an announcement to the Australian media”.
Sogavare has argued the Pacific nation must delay the poll until after it hosts the 2023 Pacific Games because of high costs. But critics have accused him of trying to “bulldoze” democracy by rushing the bill through parliament.