A boat being used to transport politicians in Solomon Islands was damaged by gunshots just hours before a parliamentary vote to choose a new prime minister.

Solomon Islands held a national election almost three weeks ago and two main factions have been competing for the loyalties of MPs.

Parliamentarians aligned with Manasseh Sogavare had been taken to a resort near Honiara on Monday in an effort to stop them defecting before Tuesday's leadership vote.

Police Commissioner Frank Prendergast confirmed the boat was damaged by gunshots early on Tuesday morning.

The politicians were not on the boat at the time and no-one was injured, he said.

Police would not give details about the extent of the damage to the vessel.

The boat did make it back to the capital Honiara in time for the parliamentary vote on Tuesday.

Manasseh Sogavare won the vote 31 to 19, becoming prime minister for the third time.

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force has formed a joint taskforce with the Participating Police Force (PPF) and is giving high priority to the investigation.

The PPF is part of the Australian-led Regional Assistant Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), which has spent $2.6 billion over the last decade to help restore law and order after ethnic violence.

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Boat used to transport MPs shot at before Solomon Islands vote