After an uneventful national election in long-restive Solomon Islands, many expected the Parliament's choice of a Prime Minister to go smoothly. But when the 50 M.P.s chose Snyder Rini as the country's new leader on April 17, the capital, Honiara, exploded into violence. Looting and arson almost destroyed the small commercial district, setting the country's already fragile economy back years.
Businessman Tigi Sikele allegedly threw the first rock from a crowd of protestors outside Parliament House. "After that it just erupted," says Royal Solomon Islands Police spokesman Mick Spinks. "The whole crowd just started picking up rocks and...
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