After the Storm

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So far, the changes have not led to open revolt by vested interests, although it appears politicians have been persuaded to abandon a useful forestry reform bill. Batley has not yet run into the sort of stalemate that would force ramsi to attach more stringent conditions to its program - or require heavy prodding from Canberra. While ramsi officials labor the point that the intervention is a regional response, there's little doubt in anyone's mind that this is Australia's show. Invited in or not, Canberra could not have a failed state on its doorstep: humanitarian concerns aside, lawlessness and anarchy are the perfect conditions for terrorists, drug smugglers, gun runners and money launderers.

"Intervention no longer has the stain of neocolonialism," says an Australian diplomat. The Howard government estimates it will spend $A200-300 million a year for perhaps a decade on Solomon Islands - providing basic services, security, funding aid projects and ramsi's salaries and equipment. "It's a major commitment by Australia," says a ramsi figure. "Not only in dollar terms - the Howard government has placed an enormous investment in Kemakeza personally, and his government. It's working. But if Kemakeza falls, where does that leave the reform process?" Prime Minister Kemakeza declined requests for an interview with Time.

Like much else in Honiara, democracy is a haphazard work in progress. Bankrolled by the U.S. but not quite complete, the Parliament building is occupied only sporadically for sittings. The chamber is strikingly decorated with fish, birds and symbols representing the four directions of the wind. But a background of pastoral serenity has inspired few who've sat here to live by the motto on the coat of arms: to lead is to serve. Instead of grounding a diverse nation, Parliament and executive governments have been the epicenter of corruption. Criminal behavior, dressed up as traditional kastom, has become entrenched. Logging licenses have been sold for a song, government figures have taken bribes to waive export duties. "These deals are not sophisticated at all. They're sealed with a cash payment," says a ramsi official. As well, there's the Rural Community Development Fund. In exchange for diplomatic recognition by the Solomons government, Taipei provides each of the country's 50 M.P.s with a slush fund to spend on local projects, their constituents - or, more often, themselves. Audits, financial oversight and the monitoring of logging and fisheries have never been properly resourced, or have repeatedly been placed under the control of political lackeys. Governments come and go, M.P.s switch sides to become ministers, representatives buy votes under a debased wantok system, and M.P. turnover is high. It's widely believed that almost every long-serving Solomon Islands politician has participated in corruption.