‘West v China’ in vote that could shape South Pacific
Solomon Islands goes to polls amid claims of US ‘electoral coup’ and smear campaign by Beijing
‘I have been targeted with some really strange efforts to brand me as mentally ill’
THE Solomon Islands goes to the polls today in an election that has been framed as the “West versus China” because of the country’s strategic location in the South Pacific.
Manasseh Sogavare, the country’s prime minister, signed a secretive security pact with Beijing in 2022 that stoked fears of China gaining a naval foothold on Australia’s doorstep.
He is seeking an unprecedented consecutive second term in office that would further deepen ties with China, in what his opponents have called a “high stakes” decision for the future of the island nation of 700,000 people.
Peter Kenilorea, an opposition leader and contender for the premiership, said: “He [Sogavare] has framed this election as the West versus China.
“The outcome will be a reflection of where people stand on some of these issues.”
Mr Kenilorea, a former UN lawyer whose father was the nation’s first prime minister after independence. wants to abolish the China pact.
He is promising a boost in cooperation on development issues with trusted partners such as the UK, United States, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. He also wants to bring in foreign and security policies that would be unpopular in Beijing. A win for the incumbent leader would just draw the country further into Beijing’s sphere of influence, said Mr Kenilorea.
Mr Sogavare, 69, switched the country’s diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 and has since allowed a flood of Chinese aid and investment to flow into the country.
His government’s growing ties with Beijing has unsettled Washington which is wary of China’s expanding military and economic footprint across the Indo-pacific.
The final document of a security deal signed with China has never been made public. A leaked version referred to Chinese “ship visits” and invoked Beijing’s right to defend its citizens and projects in the Solomons. It pointed to China’s involvement in maintaining civic order through the deployment of “armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces”.
Mr Kenilorea said: “We don’t see that particular treaty as beneficial to the Solomon Islands. We don’t have any natural enemies,” he said.
“I think it just massively raises tensions, and geopolitics in our space so we need to focus on the real issues – health and education.”
The 51-year-old acknowledged China’s influence had overshadowed the election campaign and was a major issue for voters.
“We can be put on the map for better reasons than this geopolitical tussle,” he said.
Daniel Suidani, a former governor of the Soloman Islands province of Malaita was a strong critic of the decision to drop diplomatic support for Taiwan, before he was ousted in a motion of no confidence last year while he and his supporters were absent from parliament.
In an interview on Monday, Mr Suidani called China’s growing hold over the Pacific nation “alarming”, accusing the Chinese Communist Party of working behind the scenes to help keep pro-beijing members in parliament.
China has paid tens of millions of dollars into a discretionary development fund used by the island’s politicians, according to Australian research.
Critics claim this “constituency development fund” is being used to curry favour with key political figures.
China’s foreign ministry has denied it has been interfering in the country’s elections.
Lin Jian, a spokesman for the ministry, said: “China has always pursued the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and supports the people of the Solomon Islands in independently selecting a development path that suits their own national conditions.”
Chinese and Russian state media have in recent days alleged it is the United States that is trying to influence the Solomons’ elections, claiming Washington was planning an “electoral coup”.
Ann Marie Yastishock, the US ambassador to the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, denounced the “baseless accusations” as “categorically false”.
“These misleading and false claims from questionable sources and outlets should only be perceived as disinformation and an attempt to harm our longstanding partnership with Solomon Islands and friendship between our people,” she said yesterday.
This week, Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, began a three-day visit to China. President Xi Jinping told him that ties with the West would continue to develop as long as both sides respect each other and “seek common ground”.
Suspicions remain that China will be backing more than one pro-beijing candidate for the top job in the Solomons in order to cement its influence.
Mr Kenilorea accused China of “blatant interference” by signing a new cooperation deal in early April between Malaita province and East China’s Jiangsu, with a view to pushing forward with development projects.
“The timing is suspicious and questionable,” he said.
Malaita has historically been more sceptical towards Beijing’s intentions.
He also claims he has been targeted by Chinese misinformation campaigns that have published fake brain scans to suggest he was sick.
“I have been targeted with some really strange efforts to brand me as mentally ill. An email has been sent around to a few journalists and friends ... it says click here for a report to see the brain scan of Peter Kenilorea that shows that he is ill,” he said.
The 50 politicians elected in today’s poll will decide between themselves who should be awarded the premiership.
Mr Kenilorea said he was not “hunting” for the prime minister’s position but would not reject the chance to take it on. “If that opportunity arises … in our culture, if someone gives you a gift you don’t refuse it.”
Australia’s defence ministry has said it will support the poll with a £12.9million logistics investment package, election observers and additional police and defence personnel.
It said the Australian federal police and Australian defence force had been invited by the Solomons’ government to help provide security and would work alongside partners from New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Elections in the past have been followed by periods of unrest.
Richard Marles, Australia’s defence minister, said: “Australia has a long history of supporting democracy in the Pacific and will continue to work with our regional partners to support prosperity and security based on our shared values.”