Fed: Snyder Rini resigns as Solomons PM = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2006
Fed: Snyder Rini resigns as Solomons PM = 2

Honimae later said Rini was aware of the defections before he arrived at parliament house today.

"As someone very close to the government you tend to have news of this going around
in the corridors of parliament (concerning) the office of the prime minister," Mr Honimae
told Sky News.

"We knew of something that was brewing late yesterday evening and then this morning
I spoke to the prime minister just before he went up to parliament.

"He was telling me there was some hiccups.

"At that point I knew there was problems.

"As we saw them arrive at parliament you could see there was already a reduced number
of members of the government coming in, and then when the van carrying the opposition
side (arrived), we saw there were five members of the government were already with them.

"They basically walked into the parliament and sat on the opposition side of the debating
chamber."

Honimae said jubilation replaced tension on Honiara's streets once news of Rini's resignation
filtered out.

"Cars are putting their horns on and people are shouting on the streets because of
the fact that people believe they have got what they were asking since Mr Rini had been
voted in last week," he said.

AAP dep/so/tnf/nf

KEYWORD: SOLOMONS RESIGN LEAD 2 HONIARA (REOPENS)

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