Honiara (AFP) - Solomon Islands' pro-Beijing prime minister on Thursday won a bid to delay elections until 2024 at the earliest, sparking opposition accusations of a "power grab" in the Pacific nation.
Veteran leader Manasseh Sogavare wrangled the support of two-thirds of Solomons lawmakers, for a constitutional amendment that would hand him at least an extra seven months in power.
Elections had been required by May 2023, but Sogavare claimed his government cannot hold a nationwide vote and host the Pacific Games in the same calendar year.
His move has sparked allegations of democratic backsliding in a country that is rapidly building ties with China's authoritarian government.
As parliament debated the bill Thursday, opposition leader Matthew Wale accused Sogavare's government of turning its "democratic majority into a tyranny of numbers that hijacks parliamentary process".
Wale described the bill as a scheme by Sogavare to remain in power "at the cost of the voters".
"The people of Solomon Islands must -- and will -- remember this sad day when the government abused parliament for no worthy reason, but a power grab by the prime minister," he added.
Police were deployed to the streets of the capital Honiara ahead of the vote -- with many fearing a repeat of politically fuelled rioting that gutted the capital's Chinatown late last year.
In a statement, Solomon Islands police called for calm, and described a beefed-up street presence as important "to ensure law and order is maintained and to swiftly manage any public order issue".
The passage of the bill created a wave of negative comments on social media platforms and some dismay on Honiara's streets.
"I cannot comprehend the fact that the government hasn't listened to our views," a man in his 50s, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.
"This will set a bad precedent for future parliaments."
'Extremely disappointed'
Critics say Sogavare, a four-time prime minister, has become increasingly autocratic since his latest stint in power began in 2019.
He has threatened to ban foreign journalists, attacked the country's public broadcaster and switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.
In April he signed a secretive security pact with Beijing that Western powers fear could lead to the Pacific nation providing China with a military foothold in a strategically important part of the world.
Sogavare heatedly rejected the opposition's claims that delaying the poll was a thinly veiled attempt to hold on to power.
He argued that if his goal in amending the constitution was solely to remain in office, "we can just amend the constitution to ensure that we stay in power for another two years".
With a total gross domestic product of about $1.6 billion, there is little doubt that hosting an election and the Pacific Games would strain tight government finances.
But China is financing a national stadium complex reportedly worth $53 million to host the Games, scheduled for November 2023.
Australia has offered to bankroll the election, which Sogavare's government estimates will cost more than US$49 million.
Sogavare branded the pointed offer from Australia "inappropriate".
"I'm extremely disappointed and concerned about the timing and manner of the offer," he added Thursday, but did not rule out accepting Canberra's money for the poll in 2024.
