Solomon Islands parliament elects new prime minister

The Solomon Islands parliament has elected opposition leader Matthew Wale as prime minister after incumbent Jeremiah Manele was ousted in a no-confidence vote last week.

Governor-General Sir David Tiva Kapu, who serves as the representative of the country’s head of state, King Charles, said in a press conference on Friday that Wale defeated Peter Shanel Agovaka by 26 votes to 22 in the vote among the country’s MPs.

“We are entering the government through a difficult period, given what is happening around the world,” Wale said in a statement following his election.

“We are not immune from the impacts of these geopolitical events.”

The strategic importance of the Solomon Islands, located 1600 km northeast of Australia, has been under the spotlight in recent years due to the strengthening of its ties with China. In 2022, it signed a security agreement with China that raised concerns from the United States and its South Pacific neighbors.

Wale has been highly critical of the deal, saying it would affect regional security and could jeopardize relations with existing partners, but he has made attempts to thaw ties with China in recent years.

He led a delegation to Beijing in 2025, praising China’s economic development and saying his party supported the one-China principle, according to an information about the visit provided by the Chinese Communist Party.