New Solomon Islands PM Manele vows to maintain China-friendly foreign policy

MPs in the Solomon Islands have elected as their new prime minister Jeremiah Manele, a former foreign minister who has pledged to continue the Pacific country’s policy of embracing China.

Speaking outside parliament yesterday, Manele said: “I humbly stand before you, as your elected prime minister. We must respect and uphold the democratic process.”

The previous prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, withdrew from the contest this week and backed Manele after failing to secure a majority in last month’s election.

Manele was foreign minister in 2019, when Sogavare’s government turned its back on Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with Beijing.

Police had boosted security in the capital, Honiara, before newly elected MPs headed to parliament yesterday to conduct a secret ballot.

The governor general, Sir David Vunagi, announced outside parliament that Manele had won 31 votes, against 18 votes for the opposition leader, Matthew Wale.

The election of the prime minister was due to be followed by the swearing-in of MPs, as well as the election of the parliament’s speaker.

A national election in April failed to deliver a majority to any political party, and the two camps had lobbied to win support from independents before the vote for prime minister. The poll was being closely watched by China, the US and Australia because of the potential impact on regional security after Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022.

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, congratulated Manele: “I look forward to working closely with him. Australia and Solomon Islands are close friends and our futures are connected.”

Mihai Sora, a former Australian diplomat in Solomon Islands and a Lowy Institute research fellow, said Manele had “a strong track record of working well with all international partners” compared with Sogavare, who was “a polarising figure”.