Solomon Islands curfew is lifted

There is still a heavy security presence on the streets

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been lifted in the capital of the Solomon Islands, after riots last week which forced the resignation of the prime minister.

Honiara was quiet overnight, as foreign troops and police remained on the streets to try to maintain calm.

MPs are due to elect a new prime minister next week, to replace Snyder Rini, who stepped aside on Wednesday.

However Australia's foreign minister said instability would probably remain "entrenched" whoever was elected.

Australia flew in troops to quell the unrest last week, when islanders went on the rampage, looting and burning down parts of the Chinese district of the capital, Honiara.

The rioters accused Snyder Rini, who was elected in a secret ballot of the islands' 50 MPs last week, of being in the pay of Chinese or Taiwanese businesses. He denies the accusations.

Corruption 'endemic'

Australia also led a regional intervention force three years ago, that restored order and disarmed militants after years of ethnic violence.

"I think the instability is pretty entrenched in the Solomon Islands - this whole story goes back decades," Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Macquarie Radio.

Manasseh Sogavare says he expects to win the secret ballot

"Regardless of who they appoint as the prime minister, I don't think you could say that they're going to overcome the instability."

However he rejected claims that Australia was unprepared for the outburst of rioting, insisting: "We didn't know they were going to trash the joint, obviously if we had known that in advance we would have had some troops there in advance."

Meanwhile the leading candidate to become the Solomons' next prime minister vowed to clear up corruption - which Mr Downer said was "endemic".

Manasseh Sogavare, the opposition candidate, said: "We will come [down] upon those corrupt people like a ton of bricks."

Mr Sogavare claimed to have the support of at least 32 of the 50 lawmakers in parliament ahead of the secret ballot next week.

"I am very confident we will win this election," he said.