26 Oct 2012

Solomons government claims overwhelming support ahead of no-confidence vote

3:06 pm on 26 October 2012

The Solomon Islands government is claiming it has the numbers to overcome this afternoon's expected motion for a vote of no-confidence.

Nine members of Gordon Darcy Lilo's government have switched to opposition ranks, including the two ministers he sacked earlier this week along with seven backbenchers.

Our correspondent Koroi Hawkins says at least three more members would need to leave government for the opposition to have a chance of removing Mr Lilo.

"The government has come out in the paper this morning saying that it has an overwhelming majority of support. The government is claiming that I think four opposition members have crossed - following the nine leaving, another four different members of parliament in the opposition have moved to government."

Koroi Hawkins says the motion for a vote of no-confidence was expected to be presented this morning but its mover, the opposition leader Derek Sikua, failed to attend parliament.