Former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected as the new Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands with 31 votes in a 50-member parliament election. Manele, who promises to maintain the country's China-friendly foreign policy, defeated opponent Matthew Wale who secured 18 votes. The election, closely monitored by China, the United States, and Australia, comes after the previous Prime Minister's pro-China stance. Manele's appointment follows an election that did not result in a majority for any party, requiring support from independents to secure leadership.
Solomon Islands' election results showed Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's party won 15 out of 50 seats, with major opposition parties securing 20 and independents/micro-parties 15. The rival opposition parties are lobbying independents to secure the 26 seats needed to form a government. Sogavare remains concerned about possible riots and asserts control over the country's security. Negotiations for coalition-building among parties and elected members are ongoing with the OUR party, CARE, and UP holding the upper hand to form a coalition. The presence of 10 independent candidates adds uncertainty to the political landscape in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands pro-Beijing Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has withdrawn from seeking to remain head of the government after the recent general elections central to the U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Sogavare cited media vilification and unprecedented abuse towards his family as reasons for not seeking re-election. His party, Our Party, won the most seats, and the foreign minister is now a candidate for prime minister. China's influence in the Solomons has grown significantly during Sogavare's term, including a shift in diplomatic allegiances from Taiwan to Beijing and a security pact raising concerns about Chinese naval presence in the region.
Jeremiah Manele (born 1968) was the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in Solomon Islands until December 2007. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in the 2019 general election. He has become Minister of Foreign Affairs since 26 April 2019.Manele was nominated for prime minister by the OUR party in 2024, following the 2024 Solomon Islands general election.
In the Solomon Islands, election eve involves widespread vote-buying with bribes like cash, rice, and solar panels, despite tightened electoral laws. The upcoming election is pivotal in the competition for influence in the region between China, the US, and their ally Australia. The vote may serve as a referendum on the incumbent leader's balancing act between Beijing and Canberra. The Solomon Islands' pivot towards China in recent years has raised concerns among its neighbours, particularly Australia. The country, economically challenged due to historical conflicts, faces significant geopolitical scrutiny due to its strategic location in the Pacific.
Solomon Islands, where China has gained significant influence, is preparing for an election that could impact the region's future. Current Prime Minister Sogavare, who switched allegiances from Taiwan to Beijing, is seeking a second consecutive term, sparking concerns about China's naval presence in the South Pacific.
Manasseh Sogavare, the China-friendly leader of Solomon Islands, announced his resignation after pressure from the United States and western allies following the switch in diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019. Despite his departure, Solomon Islands' pro-China stance is likely to continue under potential successor Jeremiah Manele. Sogavare's tenure was marked by a security agreement with China that raised concerns in Australia and the US. His resignation opens the door for a new leader amid opposition parties seeking to reverse the country's pro-Beijing policies.
General elections will be held in the Solomon Islands on 17 April 2024 to determine the composition of the 12th Parliament. Initially planned for 2023, parliament voted in 2022 to delay the elections. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare claimed the country could not afford to have an election in the same year the Solomon Islands was hosting the Pacific Games. The opposition condemned the delay and accused Sogavare of a power grab.Sogavare assumed a fourth non-consecutive term as prime minister in 2019, after four parties, including his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (OUR), formed the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA). Months later, in November 2019, the DCGA government severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, a move condemned by the opposition. The switch was a factor in the cause of demonstrations in Honiara in November 2021, which were initially peaceful but later turned violent after Sogavare did not meet with protesters. Much of the capital sustained damage, while the government called in personnel from four countries, including Australia, to help restore order. Sogavare dismissed calls from the opposition to resign, and shortly after the unrest, he survived a no-confidence motion. In 2022, the government signed a security pact with China, allowing it to request the deployment of Chinese military personnel in the Solomon Islands during unrest. While Sogavare said the pact would help provide the Solomon Islands with further stability and economic growth, the opposition claimed it threatened the country's sovereignty. Other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States, expressed concerns with the agreement.
The prime minister of Solomon Islands is Solomon Islands' head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Since April 2019, the prime minister has been Manasseh Sogavare.Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm; the functions of the head of state are performed on behalf of the monarch of Solomon Islands by the governor-general of Solomon Islands, who is nominated by Parliament.The prime minister's official residence is Red House in Honiara.
The Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (or OUR Party) is a political party in the Solomon Islands. It is headed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and has competed in the 2010 and 2024 elections.
The National Parliament of Solomon Islands has 50 members, elected for a four-year term in 50 single-seat constituencies.It is presided by a Speaker, currently Patterson Oti. Parliament is currently dissolved.
Aoke/Langalanga, also known as Auki/Langalanga, is a parliamentary constituency electing one representative to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands. It is one of fourteen constituencies in Malaita Province. It is also a relatively new constituency, having been established for the Fifth Parliament in 1993. It had an electorate of 7,365 in 2006.Aoke/Langalanga was the constituency of Bartholomew Ulufa'alu when he became Prime Minister in 1997. Ulufa'alu lost the premiership in 2000, but continued to hold the seat until his death in 2007. A by-election was then held in 2008, which was won by Democratic Party candidate Matthew Wale.In the 2010 general election, Wale stood for re-election against five other candidates: Richard Ulufa'alu of the Liberal Party, Judy Barty of OUR Party, and three independents. Wale was re-elected, obtaining 1,681 votes, ahead of independent candidate Billy Kwasimanu (1,512). Independent Tony Wale received exactly 1,000 votes, while the other three candidates trailed far behind: Ulufa'alu obtained 182 votes; Frank Bosi, 62; and Judy Barty, just 58. The turnout rate was 51%.
Matthew Cooper Wale (born 13 June 1968) is a Solomon Islands politician currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition. He is a member of the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands, and has represented the Aoke/Langalanga constituency on since being elected in 2008.
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare (born 17 January 1955) is the prime minister of Solomon Islands, serving since 24 April 2019. He previously held the office in 2000–2001, 2006–2007 and 2014–2017; in all he has served over nine years as prime minister. Before becoming prime minister, Sogavare served in the National Parliament representing East Choiseul since 1997.Sogavare has been widely accused of promoting democratic backsliding in the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands under Sogavare has been criticised by many as being increasingly autocratic or even authoritarian. Despite earning a modest formal salary, he has accrued a vast real estate portfolio, raising questions about his sources of income.
Solomon Islands elects a national legislature, known as the National Parliament of Solomon Islands, which has 50 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies.
The monarchy of Solomon Islands is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Solomon Islands. The current monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Solomon Islands. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Solomon Islands and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Solomon Islands. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.All executive authority is vested in the monarch, and royal assent is required for the National Parliament of Solomon Islands to enact laws and for letters patent and Orders in Council to have legal effect. But the authority for these acts stems from the country's populace, in which sovereignty is vested, and the monarch's direct participation in any of these areas of governance is limited. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges and justices of the peace. Other powers vested in the monarch, such as dismissal of a prime minister, are significant but are treated only as reserve powers and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy.The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power. While some powers are exercisable only by the sovereign, most of the monarch's operational and ceremonial duties are exercised by his representative, the governor-general of Solomon Islands.
The prime minister of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The president appoints the prime minister, a Member of Parliament (MP) who in their opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of the majority of MPs. The incumbent prime minister is Lee Hsien Loong, who took office on 12 August 2004.Singapore is modelled after the Westminster system. The prime minister only governs with the confidence of the majority in Parliament; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a Member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. In practice, the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament.
The Pacific island nation of Nauru has announced that it is severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognizing China as the People's Republic of China, making it one of the few nations to do so. Nauru will no longer develop any official relations or exchanges with Taiwan. The decision comes just days after Taiwan's presidential elections, and Taiwan called the move 'China's retaliation against our democratic elections.' Only 12 countries now officially recognize Taiwan.
The prime minister of Malaysia (Malay: Perdana Menteri Malaysia; Jawi: ڤردان منتري مليسيا) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister as a member of Parliament (MP) who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party winning the most seats in a general election. After the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the chief minister of the Federation of Malaya, became the first prime minister of Malaysia.
The British Solomon Islands Protectorate was first declared over the southern Solomon Islands in June 1893, when Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa, declared the southern islands a British protectorate.Christian missionaries began visiting the Solomons from the 1840s, beginning with an attempt by French Catholics under Jean-Baptiste Epalle to establish a mission on Santa Isabel Island, which was abandoned after Epalle was killed by islanders in 1845. Anglican missionaries began arriving from the 1850s, followed by other denominations, over time gaining a large number of converts.The Anglo-German Declarations about the Western Pacific Ocean (1886), established "spheres of influence" that Imperial Germany and the United Kingdom agreed, with Germany giving up its claim to the southern Solomon Islands. Following the formal declaration of the Protectorate in 1893, Bellona and Rennell Islands and Sikaiana (formerly the Stewart Islands) were added to the Protectorate in 1897, and the Santa Cruz group, the Reef Islands, Anuda (Cherry), Fataka (Mitre) and Trevannion Islands and Duff (Wilson) group in 1898. German interests in the islands to the east and south-east of Bougainville were transferred to the United Kingdom under the Samoa Tripartite Convention of 1899, in exchange for recognition of the German claim to Western Samoa. In October 1900, the High Commissioner issued a Proclamation extending the Protectorate to the islands in question, i.e. Choiseul, Ysabel, Shortland and Fauro Islands (each with its dependencies), the Tasman group, Lord Howe's group and Gower Island.The Protectorate was administered as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT) until the Solomon Islands became independent in 1978. During the 1950s, the British colonial administration built a network of official local councils. On this platform Solomon Islanders with experience on the local councils started participation in central government, initially through the bureaucracy and then, from 1960, through the newly established Legislative and Executive Councils. The 1970 constitution replaced the Legislative and Executive Councils with a single Governing Council.A new constitution was introduced in 1974 which established a standard Westminster form of government and gave the Islanders both Chief Ministerial and Cabinet responsibilities. Governing Council was transformed into the Legislative Assembly. The Protectorate that existed over Solomon Islands was ended under the terms of the Solomon Islands Act 1978.
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons, is a country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. It is directly adjacent to Papua New Guinea to the northwest, Australia to the southwest, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the southeast, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu to the east, and Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia to the north. It has a total area of 28,896 square kilometres (11,157 sq mi), and a population of 734,887 according to the official estimates for mid 2023. Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the wider area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (currently a part of Papua New Guinea), but excludes the Santa Cruz Islands.The islands have been settled since at least some time between 30,000 and 28,800 BC, with later waves of migrants, notably the Lapita people, mixing and producing the modern indigenous Solomon Islanders population. In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit them. Though not named by Mendaña, it is believed that the islands were called "the Solomons" by those who later received word of his voyage and mapped his discovery. Mendaña returned decades later, in 1595, and another Spanish expedition, led by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, visited the Solomons in 1606. In June 1893, Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa, declared the southern Solomon Islands a British protectorate. During World War II, the Solomon Islands campaign (1942–1945) saw fierce fighting between the United States, British Imperial forces, and the Empire of Japan, including the Battle of Guadalcanal.The official name of the then-British administration was changed from the "British Solomon Islands Protectorate" to "The Solomon Islands" in 1975, and self-government was achieved the following year. Independence was obtained, and the name changed to just "Solomon Islands" (without the definite article), in 1978. At independence, Solomon Islands became a constitutional monarchy. The King of Solomon Islands is Charles III, who is represented in the country by a governor-general.
The UK's ruling Conservative party is expected to suffer heavy losses in local elections, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as Tory mutineers create noise about a leadership change. The polls, seen as a crucial assessment for Sunak's premiership, may force an earlier general election. Speculation surrounds Sunak's future based on the performance of high-profile Tory mayors in the West Midlands and Tees Valley. Factional infighting within the party adds uncertainty, with some MPs preparing for a potential leadership change. Sunak's leadership stability and the party's credibility are key concerns amid predictions of a Labour landslide.
Between 60 and 70 languages are spoken in the Solomon Islands archipelago which covers a broader area than the nation state of Solomon Islands, and includes the island of Bougainville, which is an autonomous province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The lingua franca of the archipelago is Pijin, and the official language in both countries is English.
Making a push for self-reliance, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said that unprecedented changes are taking place in the geopolitical landscape and the country's defence will have to keep evolving to keep up with the changing battle space. Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday just days before the anticipated announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Rajasthan Petrol Dealers Association has announced a "No Purchase, No Sale" strike starting at 6 am on Sunday for the next 48 hours with the aim of drawing the attention of the government to the high fuel prices in the state. Taking a jibe over former Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal, who joined the BJP, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that if BJP wins, it will remain in the government, but if the grand old party wins, it might align with the saffron party. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said that North Bengal has always been the Prime Minister's bastion.
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems a prime minister is not the head of state, but rather the head of government, serving as the principal administrator under either a monarch in a monarchy or a president in a republican form of government. In parliamentary systems fashioned after the Westminster system, the prime minister is the presiding and actual head of government and head/owner of the executive power. In such systems, the head of state or their official representative (e.g., monarch, president, governor-general) usually holds a largely ceremonial position, although often with reserve powers.Under some presidential systems, such as South Korea and Peru, the prime minister is the leader or most senior member of the cabinet, but not the head of government. As such, in South Korea, the prime minister is equivalent to that of a vice president which is the second in-command and assumes the presidency in the absence of the president. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime minister is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet. In a minority of systems, notably in semi-presidential systems, a prime minister is the official appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of the head of state.Today, the prime minister is often, but not always, a member of the legislature or its lower house, and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature. In some monarchies the monarch may also exercise executive powers (known as the royal prerogative) without the approval of parliament.As well as being head of government, being prime minister may require holding other roles or posts—the prime minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. In some cases, prime ministers may choose to hold additional ministerial posts (e.g. when the portfolio is critical to that government's mandate): during the Second World War, Winston Churchill was also Minister of Defence (although there was then no Ministry of Defence). Another example is the Thirty-fourth government of Israel (2015–2019), when Benjamin Netanyahu at one point served as the prime minister and minister of Communications, Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, Economy, Defense and Interior.
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet and thus heads the federal executive government. Under the principles of responsible government, the prime minister is both a member and responsible to Parliament. The current prime minister is Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party, who assumed the office on 23 May 2022.Formally appointed by the governor-general, the role and duties of the prime minister are not described by the Australian constitution but rather defined by constitutional convention deriving from the Westminster system and responsible government. Prime ministers do not have a set duration or number of terms, but an individual's term generally ends when their political party loses a federal election, or they lose or relinquish the leadership of their party.The office of prime minister comes with various privileges, including the use of two official residences: The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House in Sydney, as well as an office at Parliament House.Thirty-one people (thirty men and one woman) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Edmund Barton taking office on 1 January 1901 following federation of the British colonies in Australia. The longest-serving prime minister was Robert Menzies, who served over 18 years, and the shortest-serving was Frank Forde, who served one week.
The Solomon Islands (archipelago) is an island group in the western South Pacific Ocean, north-east of Australia. The archipelago is in the Melanesian subregion and bioregion of Oceania and forms the eastern boundary of the Solomon Sea. The many islands of the archipelago are distributed across Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (country). The largest island in the archipelago is Bougainville Island, which is a part of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (currently a part of Papua New Guinea) along with Buka Island, the Nukumanu Islands, and a number of smaller nearby islands. Much of the remainder falls within the territory of Solomon Islands and include the atolls of Ontong Java, Sikaiana, the raised coral atolls of Bellona and Rennell, and the volcanic islands of Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Makira, Malaita, New Georgia, the Nggelas, Santa Isabel, and the Shortlands. The Santa Cruz Islands are not a part of the archipelago.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock set off on Wednesday on a week-long trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji where the focus will be on security policy and climate protection. Baerbock noted that the region is becoming increasingly important to Germany for strategic and economic reasons, especially given tensions with China over human rights, trade and Taiwan. Australia and New Zealand were "more directly exposed than we are to the violent gusts of wind that are being sent around the world by China's increasingly offensive behaviour," she said. They had a lot of experience with their authoritarian neighbour, "whose foreign policy toolbox includes economic pressure and who also puts our democracies to the test through espionage and other influence operations." Three Germans were arrest on suspicion of spying for China in recent days.
Manele is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States, on the island of Lanai. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 7. Manele is one of only two census-designated places on Lanai, the other being the much larger Lanai City. Manele is the site of Four Seasons Resort Lanai.It is the least populated city in Hawaii.
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