Jeremiah Manele becomes new PM of Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands lawmakers elect former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China

Manele utilized his inaugural speech as leader to pledge to govern with integrity and prioritize his nation’s interests.

“I will discharge my duties diligently and with integrity. I will at all times put the interests of our people and country above all other interests,” Manele said in a speech outside the National Parliament of Solomon Islands.

Gov. Gen. David Vunagi announced that Manele secured 31 votes in a secret ballot among the 49 lawmakers elected in the general elections on April 17. Meanwhile, Matthew Wale, who headed the opposition in the previous parliament, obtained the remaining 18 votes.

The withdrawal of pro-Beijing former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare from the contest to make way for Manele as their party’s candidate indicated the country could follow a similar direction.

Sogavare had hoped to become the first Solomons prime minister to maintain power in consecutive four-year terms following the election. During his previous term, China’s influence increased more in the Solomons than anywhere else in the South Pacific.

Sogavare changed diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing and forged a clandestine security agreement, sparking concerns about the Chinese navy’s potential influence in the region.

In his speech, Manele also urged against any post-election violence.

“Past prime minister’s elections have been met with the act of violence and destruction. Our economy and livelihoods have suffered because of this violence,” Manele said.

“However, today we show the world that we are better than that. We must respect and uphold the democratic process of electing our prime minister and set an example for our children and their children,” he added.

Sogavare’s election in 2019 sparked riots in the capital Honiara over legal questions about his eligibility to be prime minister. More serious riots resulted in arson and looting in Honiara in November 2021, after his leadership survived a motion of no confidence tabled by Wale.

Riots following the 2006 election, which were fueled by allegations of Chinese interference and resentment against Chinese business people, led to then-Prime Minister Snyder Rini’s resignation after a week in office and Sogavare taking power. It was the second of Sogavare’s four stints as prime minister.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Manele on his election.

“I look forward to working closely with him. Australia and Solomon Islands are close friends and our futures are connected,” Albanese said on the social media platform X.

Sogavare had argued that Australia was his country’s preferred security partner despite the bilateral agreement signed with Beijing in 2022. Under the terms of this agreement, Chinese police trainers are currently based in Honiara, the capital and largest city of the Solomon Islands.

Australian police have been maintaining public order in Honiara since Sogavare invited them in late 2021 under a 2017 bilateral security treaty that provides a legal basis for the deployment of police, troops and associated civilians in the event of a major security challenge.

Meg Keen, the director of the Pacific Islands program for Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, said Manele will be a “less fiery and combative leader for the West to manage but he will continue to pursue close relations with China.”

“As the former foreign minister, he helped broker the security deal with China that panicked the West. But he is also a seasoned diplomat with experience at the U.N. and in Western countries – he’s no stranger to Western engagement,” Keen said.

She stated that Sogavare withdrew from the race due to his party’s loss of several lawmakers in the election, which indicated a desire for change among voters.

Source: AP