WELLINGTON, March 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The leader of the Solomon Islands Labor Party has accused Taiwan of interfering in the upcoming elections by funding candidates.

    Radio New Zealand reported Friday that Joses Tuhanuku said that "Taiwan is acting like a local political party, sponsoring candidates and involving itself directly in the business of Solomon Islands politics."

    He has also accused the caretaker Prime Minister Sir Allan Kamakeza and senior members of the community of colluding with Taiwan over a number of years in what he said is a "corruption of the democratic process."

    Solomon Islands is due to go to the polls on April 5, to be monitored by about 50 international observers.

    With a population of 504,000, the Solomon Islands chain consists of several large volcanic islands in the South Pacific. More than 90 percent of the islanders are ethnic Melanesians, but there has been intense and bitter rivalry between the Isatabus on Guadalcanal and migrant Malaitans from the neighboring island. Enditem