Australia in Solomon crisis talks

Mr Downer met the new Prime Minister Snyder Rini to seek ways of ending the violence, which left parts of the capital, Honiara, in ruins.

Mr Rini has denied allegations of links to widespread corruption in the past.

Australia, New Zealand and Fiji have sent more than 600 troops and police to restore law and order.

"Economic reform is going to be central to the survival of the country," Mr Downer said after his meeting on Saturday.

"There needs to be significant improvement. There is no doubt corruption has been a major problem... over a long period of time."

Bribery allegations

Mr Rini, the former deputy prime minister, has faced accusations that he is too closely linked to former Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza's administration, which was tainted by corruption allegations.

Opponents also claim he used money from Chinese and Taiwanese backers to bribe MPs into voting for him.

But he has denied the claims, and challenged those making the allegations "to take the evidence to the police".

A dawn-to-dusk curfew was imposed on Wednesday to end the rioting which began on Tuesday when Mr Rini was chosen for the premiership in a ballot by 50 newly-elected MPs.

Much of Honiara's Chinatown area was razed in the rioting, during which some families were forced to jump from burning buildings.

Paul Ash, the deputy coordinator of the multinational security force in Honiara, told the Associated Press there was evidence that some opponents of Mr Rini may have instigated the violence.

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