HONIARA (Pacnews) — The Solomon Island government has demanded an apology from Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for using an open letter, published in local newspapers, to criticize Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
But the Australian High Commission here said that no apology will be forthcoming.
Without the apology, a meeting between Downer and his Solomon Islands counterpart Patteson Oti planned for later this month cannot happen.
Downer angered Sogavare last month by publishing a letter in three Solomons newspapers, accusing his government of deliberately trying to undermine the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.
Downer called on Solomon Islanders to support RAMSI and reject Sogavare’s plan to rearm police, a plan the prime minister has since dropped due to overwhelming public opposition.
Sogavare condemned Downer’s move, saying he has no right to communicate directly with Solomon Islanders and accused Canberra of trying to run a parallel government in his country.
Downer and Oti have been due to meet at a gathering of Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers in Vanuatu on March 16.
After the letter was published last month, Downer accused Sogavare of trying to get rid of RAMSI and return to the days when the Solomons was run by the Malaitan Eagle Force militant group.