SYDNEY – Solomon Islands incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said he would not be a candidate when lawmakers vote this week for a new prime minister, and his political party would instead back former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele.

The two major opposition parties in the Solomon Islands struck a coalition deal on April 27 as they vie with Mr Sogavare’s party to form a government after an election delivered no clear winner.

Last week’s election was the first since Mr Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022, inviting the Chinese police into the Pacific Islands archipelago and drawing the nation closer to Beijing.

The election is being watched by China, the US and neighbouring Australia because of the potential impact on regional security.

Mr Sogavare, who narrowly held on to his seat in April 24’s national election, announced he would not be a candidate for prime minister at a televised press conference on April 29.

He said his government had been “under pressure from the United States and Western allies” and he had been “accused of many things”.

“Geopolitics is at play, after we made a very important decision in 2019,” he said, referring to his government’s decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

Mr Manele said that if he was elected as prime minister he would have the “same foreign policy basis – friends to all and enemies to none”.

Key independent votes

Election results showed that Mr Sogavare’s OUR party won 15 of the 50 seats in Parliament, while the opposition Care coalition had 20. Independents and micro parties won 15 seats, and courting the independents would be the key to reaching the 26 seats needed to form a government. Mr Sogavare said on April 29 his party had support for 28 seats.

Nominations for candidates for prime minister opened on April 29, and lawmakers are expected to vote on May 2. The nomination vote had previously been expected to take place on May 8.

Mr Sogavare said he had been vilified as prime minister and his family home “razed to the ground, but that did not waver my resolve to continue to serve our people, it has not been easy”. His house was burnt during anti-government riots in 2021 that also damaged the capital Honiara and prompted him to invite the Australian police to restore order. Six months later, he struck the security pact with China.

He said his government, which took construction aid from China to build seven sporting stadiums and a loan to build a Huawei mobile telecommunications network, was transformative and focused on big infrastructure projects.

Opposition parties, which were critical of the Chinese security deal, said hospitals struggled without medicine. They pledged greater support for education. REUTERS