2008 East Honiara by-election 2008 East Honiara by-election The East Honiara by-election, 2008 was a by-election for the East Honiara constituency in the National Parliament of Solomon Islands. East Honiara is by far the most heavily populated constituency in Solomon Islands, with an electorate of over 30,000. The election was precipitated by the arrest, conviction for fraud and jailing of sitting MP Charles Dausabea, who had held the seat since the 2006 general election. A total of twenty-six candidates stood in the by-election. Among them was a former MP, Alfred Sasako. The election was held on September 25, 2008, in thirty-nine polling stations. The
Honiara with the addition of many administrative buildings, the town began to develop and grow in population. Since the late 1990s, Honiara has suffered a turbulent history of ethnic violence and political unrest and is scarred by rioting. A coup attempt in June 2000 resulted in violent rebellions and fighting between the ethnic Malaitans of the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) and the Guadalcanal natives of the Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM). Although a peace agreement was made in October 2000, violence ensued in the city streets in March 2002 when two diplomats from New Zealand and numerous others were murdered. In July