8 Aug 2010

More unrest after partial election results in Solomons

10:01 pm on 8 August 2010

Unrest continued in parts of Solomon Islands on Sunday as angry voters reacted to the release of partial results of last week's parliamentary election.

The troublespot on Sunday was the town of Lata in Temotu Province and police reinforcements had to be sent from the capital Honiara.

Last Wednesday's voting went off smoothly on the day and independent observers have declared it fair.

But violence erupted in several outlying areas over the weekend, including the island of Malaita where Jimmy Lusibaea, a former militia leader, won a landslide victory in the northern part of the island, giving him a seat in parliament.

Also affected were the island of Tulagi, as well as Lata, where a police station was pelted with stones.

Vote counting is still under way but it is not clear when full results will be available.