China ties loom as results counted
HONIARA: Daniel Suidani, a prominent Solomon Islands critic of China who was former Malaita province premier, has been reelected to the provincial assembly, as counting continued yesterday in the Pacific island nation’s election.
The elections are the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022 and drew the Pacific nation closer to Beijing.
Results in national and provincial elections held in the Solomon Islands on Wednesday are being announced over several days, closely watched by China, the United States and Australia.
Suidani, whose new political party U4C also ran candidates in the national election, was reelected to the Malaita provincial assembly, he confirmed to Reuters yesterday.
As premier, he had banned Chinese companies from Malaita, the Solomon Islands’ most populous province, and accepted US development aid before being ousted last year in a noconfidence vote by lawmakers for his refusal to recognise China.
China sent its top envoy for the South Pacific to Malaita province this month to sign a memorandum of understanding with the new premier, Martin Fini.
Fini lost his seat in the provincial assembly, electoral officials said yesterday, which means he would no longer be eligible to be premier.
Suidani said his win, the ousting of the proChina Fini by voters and the election of several new lawmakers to the provincial assembly in Malaita showed voters wanted to see change in government.
‘‘It’s a joy for all Malaitians who believe in democracy,’’ he said in a telephone interview, but noted counting was still under way and the final numbers in the provincial assembly were unknown.
Elections chief Jasper Highwood Anisi said there was a heavy police presence outside counting centres providing security.
Police and defence forces from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji are assisting with election security.
RNZ Pacific reported human error and venue complications had hampered some vote counting.
The main counting venue in the capital Honiara was found to be too small so an additional counting location had to be found and prepared.
The wrong type of ballot paper had been issued at some polling stations but Anisi said the error would be corrected.
The 50 members of the national parliament are elected for a fouryear term, and the seat results, expected to be known by Monday, will indicate if any party has achieved a majority, or if a new prime minister will require a coalition government. — Reuters/RNZ