At the same time, the Government of Prime Minister Danny Philip has won over the MP for Ulawa/Ugi, James Tora, placing him as the Minister for Police and National Security.
Mr Rini, along with Hon Gordon Darcy Lilo, were sworn in at a brief ceremony at Government House in Honiara on Monday afternoon.
Mr Darcy Lilo is the new Minister of Finance and Treasury. Hon Tora was sworn in yesterday afternoon.
In a newspaper report published in this paper on Monday, an unnamed Opposition spokesman was quoted as saying the new government of Prime Minister Danny Philip would face a vote of no confidence in the first sitting of Parliament.
Parliament is due to meet next week to elect a new Speaker.
The report was based on the reported defection of Hon Rini to the Opposition camp.
But in a statement earlier this week Prime Minister Philip has scotched the rumors, describing the report as “a figment of imagination reflecting immaturity and adventurism on the part of the Opposition”.
“The newspaper report has no basis, given that Hon Rini, the man at the centre of the report, has been with the Government all along. In terms of numbers, we have also won over Hon Tora,” Prime Minister Philip said.
“The Opposition is a fragmented group with everyone there trying to be Prime Minister.
“The picture is clear from here, once such a group gets into Office they will spend more time on in-fighting over who should be prime minister than focus on what they should be doing for the people of this nation.”
He said the Opposition’s fragmentation showed at the funeral of the late Steve Laore, who died in Honiara last Thursday.
“I am surprised they were not even seen at the funeral of one of our fallen colleagues on Monday. It is totally insensitive culturally and indeed a disgrace on their part to say the least.
“Their absence shows they cannot lead as they simply can’t separate politics from leadership,” Prime Minister Philip said.
Their absence, he said, raised far bigger questions on the minds of the people of the Shortlands.
The Prime Minister was referring to Monday’s funeral of Mr Laore, the late Member for the Shortlands, who died in Honiara last Thursday.
No Opposition MP attended the funeral service held at the Maranatha Hall of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
His body was taken home after Monday’s funeral, which was attended by more than 1, 000 people.
Prime Minister Philip and members of his new Cabinet joined the funeral procession.
He said it’s time the Opposition get organised so that they have a leader and that Members of Parliament get on with the business of governing, rather than being the epicenter for unfounded rumors.
“The people of Solomon Islands are already fed up with politicians playing second fiddle with their interests and concerns. They want us – their leaders – to get on with the job our people voted us in to do,” he said.
“My Government is ready to work and we will,” Prime Minister Philip said.
“In this regard, I encourage members on the opposite side of the bench to join us and work together for the betterment of the people of Solomon Islands. There is room here,” he said.
By ALFRED SASAKO
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