Solomon Islands PM admits he bust amnesty

By MARY-LOUISE O'CALLAGHAN Herald correspondent

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza yesterday admitted he had agreed last year that militants could hold on to their weapons in defiance of his own Government's gun amnesty.

Facing calls for his resignation, Sir Allan, who in April requested Australia to intervene in his troubled nation, denies he was trying to scuttle the Solomons peace process.

But militants on both sides of the Solomons conflict have claimed in the past week that he had told them to keep their weapons during an amnesty last May.

Sir Allan claimed yesterday that he had agreed to the delay only to allow time for a joint surrender of weapons by militant leaders from the islands of Malaita and Guadalcanal, including the Weathercoast rebel leader, Harold Keke.

"During the amnesty in May last year, some former MEF commanders came to my house and suggested that they should meet with Harold Keke to organise a nationwide day for all parties to surrender arms," Sir Allan said in a carefully worded statement.

"I thought the idea had great merit and told them I would work something out. I agreed with them that while negotiations were going on with Harold Keke they should hold on to their weapons."

His statement was issued after calls by the Leader of the Opposition, John Garo, for his resignation.

Sir Allan had previously denied any involvement in the dispatching of 10 men from Kwaio in Malaita province to the Weathercoast last year, allegedly to assassinate Keke. The men were subsequently killed by Keke's forces.

The PM, who said the matter was being investigated by the police and he was prepared to face the courts if any evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered, claimed he was now being targeted by those with the most to lose from the intervention.

The civilian leader of the intervention, Nick Warner, said yesterday that he did not think Sir Allan's admission would have any impact on his Government's relationship with the intervention forces.