Solomon Islands to get new leader after PM ousted in no-confidence vote | Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands prime minister Jeremiah Manele lost power in a vote of confidence in the South Pacific country’s parliament, ending months of political uncertainty.

Parliament was adjourned to allow the governor general to make arrangements for the election of a new prime minister.

Ahead of Thursday’s vote, in which he was defeated 22 to 26, Manele heavily criticized the country’s court for setting a “dangerous precedent” by ruling that MPs should meet for a motion of no confidence.

The Solomon Islands have been seen as one of Beijing’s closest partners and supporters in the South Pacific in recent years, and changes in leadership in the strategically located archipelago have been closely watched by western diplomats.

Manele’s Government of National Unity and Transformation has been in stalemate since March, when it was rocked by mass cabinet resignations and the departure of two coalition partners.

Last week, an appeals court ruled that Manele, who avoided a motion of no confidence for seven weeks, must convene parliament by May 7.

There was a heavy police presence around the parliament on Thursday as two groups of MPs arrived in separate buses.

The new opposition coalition, consisting of six political parties, showed that it had 27 seats as MPs entered the 50-seat parliament.

Former foreign minister Peter Shanel Agovaka, who left the cabinet in March and is a frontrunner to become the next prime minister, said Manele showed poor leadership as ministers complimented businessmen.

“There is a group of people here who are feeding themselves to the till,” he said in his speech to parliament.

He said the lack of transparency included no audit report being prepared on the huge amounts of government and donor country money spent to host the 2024 Pacific Games and last year’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting.

The International Monetary Fund expressed concerns in March about accountability, a lack of audit reports and the need for anti-corruption reforms.

Manele said this was the first time he had heard complaints about his leadership.

“I am very disappointed that I literally have not had time to prepare a response to these reasons and allegations,” he said.

“I believe the courts have set a dangerous precedent,” he added, calling the order to convene parliament for the vote “judicial overreach of the highest order.”

The Solomons, with a population of 850,000, is located about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) east of Australia and receives significant aid from Canberra and Beijing. Budget documents show that debt to China for infrastructure projects doubled last year.

In 2022, it signed a security agreement with China that raised concerns from the United States, Australia and other Pacific neighbors.

Manele was elected in parliament by the coalition of parties that formed the government in 2024 after national elections failed to give any party a clear majority.

Mihai Sora, research director at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney, said Manele’s sacking would likely make things more difficult for Australia, which is trying to strengthen police ties with the Solomons to counter Beijing’s security influence.

“There is a very high probability that Manele will be replaced by someone who is seen as more China-friendly,” he said.