Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Solomons PM says sacked ministers want to join opposition

Posted at 02:06 on 24 October, 2012 UTC

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has sacked two ministers who he says want to move to the opposition.

The former prime minister and minister for planning and aid co-ordination, Snyder Rini, and environment minister, John Moffat Fugui, have been dumped.

Their removal comes ahead of a motion of no confidence in Mr Lilo which is due to be debated on Friday.

Our correspondent, Dorothy Wickham, says the sacked ministers have not yet confirmed they want to move.

But she says trouble had been brewing for some time.

“It’s not clear what triggered the sudden movement of ministers but there had been talk for a few months now that the Gordon Darcy government was not stable and they were having some disagreements within his group.”

Dorothy Wickham says the disagreements had been down to a difference of opinion on some policy.