Hundreds of supporters of a local parliament member who was voted out of office went on a rampage yesterday, smashing a polling station with rocks and damaging nearby buildings in a remote province of the Solomon Islands.
Local police officers were unable to suppress the early morning riot by supporters of Patterson Oti. The large crowd stormed a counting station, threw rocks and damaged shops and offices in the provincial center of Lata.
NO CASUALTIES
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
“The situation this morning is tense and we are helpless to stop the rampage because we do not have adequate officers and resources,” a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said by telephone.
Election results have often sparked unrest between supporters of rival politicians, resulting in deaths and property damage in the South Pacific nation of about 600,000 people scattered across 1,000 islands.
SECURITY
Foreign peacekeepers stepped up security in Honiara, the nation’s capital, during the elections on Wednesday as well as the continuing vote counting, however, no extra forces were sent to remote centers like Lata.
An Australian-led international security force, Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands (RAMSI), has attempted to maintain peace in the Solomons since 2003, after hundreds were killed in ethnic violence that drove at least 20,000 people from their homes.
“Authorities in Honiara failed to deploy RAMSI soldiers to help us in unexpected situations like this and I am disappointed,” the police officer said.
CANDIDATES
A record 509 candidates are seeking election to the nation’s 50-seat parliament.
Vote counting in most constituencies is expected to be completed tomorrow, although voting in the remote outer regions of Ontong Java and Sikiana will take place on Monday because of transportation difficulties.
Foreign election observers were pleased overall with the polling and the Electoral Commission has said it has found no evidence of fraud.
In the latest results, former prime ministers Manasseh Sogavare and Snyder Rini were among the parliament members who have retained their seats.
Derek Sikua, who became prime minister in 2007, is also seeking re-election.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel