16 Nov 2011

Election of new Solomons PM sparks protest

2:37 pm on 16 November 2011

A protest is being staged in the streets of Honiara following the announcement that the new Solomon Islands prime minister is Gordon Darcy Lilo.

Mr Darcy Lilo, who was one of the five candidates to contest today's vote in Parliament, got the backing of 29 of the 49 MPs.

He fills the post vacated by Danny Philip's sudden resignation last week.

The Malaita Masina Forum announced before the vote that it did not want Mr Darcy Lilo to win.

The Solomons Star newspaper reports that the Forum had police permission to mount a protest.

Our correspondent Dorothy Wickham report from Honiara.

"There's feelings amongst them that because he's from the Western side of the country a lot of the projects have been diverted to the Western Province and Malaita is not seeing any more development inside the province and this is the feeling on the ground. And I think Masina Forum represents that sentiment. But then there's also other issues relating to it. There have been claims in the media from Masina Forum and others from Malaita Province who have claimed that Mr Darcy Lilo has not been very transparent in some of his actions and dealings over the last year or so."