HONIARA, Sept 6, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Australia said Tuesday it has offered to
fund Solomon Islands' 2023 election, as the Pacific nation's leader pushed
ahead with a controversial bill to delay the vote over budgetary constraints.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has sought to alter the constitution and
delay the election by months until after the country hosts the 2023 Pacific
Games, arguing that Solomon Islands cannot afford to do both.

But critics have accused Sogavare of attempting to "bulldoze" democracy by
rushing the bill through parliament.

The Australian funding offer "reflects our longstanding and historical
commitment to supporting democracy and democratic processes in Solomon
Islands", Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Tuesday.

The offer has not yet been accepted but Wong told national broadcast ABC that
it was "a matter for Solomon Islands as to whether they will respond and how
they wish to respond".

The amount offered by Australia was not revealed, but Sogavare's secretary
Jimmie Rogers previously told the Solomons state broadcaster that the
election would cost more than US$49 million.

Sogavare's office has been contacted for comment.

The bill to delay the election, which had its first reading on Tuesday, was
"domestically controversial, Wong said, "(but) that's ultimately a matter for
their parliament to resolve".

She sought to tamp down suggestions the funding was unusual, citing
Australian support for the recent elections in Papua New Guinea.

- 'A sad moment' -

Solomon Islands MP John Maneniaru said Tuesday that he was "very
disheartened" by Sogavare's decision to fast-track the bill, skipping his
Bills and Legislation Committee.

"This is for me a sad moment indeed. And for our democracy," he said. "A
deliberate decision was made to bulldoze into our parliament and democracy."

Sogavare, a four-time prime minister, is expected to visit Australia soon,
although discussions are still ongoing about the timing.

The Solomons prime minister has grown increasingly close to Beijing, and has
been under pressure since deadly riots against his leadership last year left
much of the capital Honiara's Chinatown in ruins.

In April, Sogavare signed a landmark security pact with Beijing, setting off
intense jostling between China and the United States and its allies,
including Australia.

Sogavare recently accused Western media organisations in the Solomons of
"spreading anti-China sentiment".

His office threatened to ban or deport reporters for "disrespectful and
demeaning" coverage, and said some foreign media were trying to "engineer
regime change".

The Australian government last week updated its travel advice for Solomon
Islands, warning citizens to exercise "a high degree of caution due to the
possibility of further civil unrest" ahead of the vote on the election delay
bill in parliament on Thursday.