Solomons PM blasts Australia over election offer

Bloomberg

The Solomon Islands accused Australia of trying to “influence” its lawmakers ahead of a vote on a constitutional amendment to delay elections until 2024, after Canberra offered to fund the Pacific nation’s next national ballot.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s office said Australia’s offer was “inappropriate” and it would not respond until the constitutional amendment had been voted on. The stern response is a setback for Australia’s push to improve relations with the Pacific nation as China expands its influence in the region.
“Solomon Islands is a sovereign country and its Parliament must not be seen to be coerced or unduly influenced by ill-timed offers that is directed to a matter that is before Parliament,” his office said in a statement. It also informed the Australian embassy of its disapproval of “bilateral relations via the media.”
Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation earlier Tuesday the offer reflected the country’s commitment to supporting “democratic processes in the Solomon Islands.” She didn’t say how much would be given.
“We have made an offer of assistance and its a matter for the Solomon Islands as to whether they will respond and how they wish to respond,” Wong said. This was a “common” approach for Australian governments, she added. Sogavare previously argued his country couldn’t afford to hold both the election and the 2023 Pacific Games at the same time. “The appropriate option is to defer the election and host the games,” his office said Aug. 10.
New legislation introduced in August would change the constitution to delay dissolving parliament until end-2023 and this means elections would be called in 2024.
Solomons opposition leader Matthew Wale said last week the offers of funding from international partners had removed the need for the election to be postponed.
“If that was the case all he needs to do is formally ask donor partners, the democratic ones, who have elections, and they are more than happy to fund elections,” Wale said at a press conference of Sogavare.
Australia and the US have been increasingly concerned about links between the Solomon Islands and China in the wake of the unexpected signing of a security agreement between Honiara and Beijing in April.
No final version of the agreement has been released but a draft copy leaked in March would have allowed Chinese warships safe harbor just 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the Australian coastline.