2 former female MPs’ will not defend seats

Two former female Members of Parliament will not be defending their seats instead their husbands will contest in their former constituencies’.

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission Chief Electoral Commissioner Jasper H, Anisi has confirmed to SBMonline tonight that the former MP for Gizo Kolobangara and caretaker minister of Education and Human Resources Lanelle Tanagada will not contest again for the seat so as Ethel Vokia for North East Guadalcanal.

This was after nominations closed yesterday.

Instead, Jimson Tanagada will run again for the Gizo Kolobangara seat he once occupied but lost it in a high court petition. Tanangada lost his seat after the High Court ruled he treated and bribed people to vote for him during the 2014 national elections. The decision followed an election petition by former prime minister and losing candidate Gordon Darcy Lilo.

Following his removal, Mrs Tanagada won the by election and had since been the MP for the constituency until the last Parliament dissolved in December 2023.

Mr Tanangada had already launched his campaign in Gizo as one of the candidates vying for the leadership of the constituency.

Meanwhile in North East Guadalcanal, another former MP who lost his seat via a petition is entering the election in place of his wife who held the seat since his ousting.

Jamie Vokia, had lost his Northeast Guadalcanal seat in Parliament following a successful petition lodged by another former prime minister and losing candidate Dr Derek Sikua in 2020, following the 2019 election.

Justice Emmanuel Kouhota found MP Vokia guilty of three grounds of bribery. He ruled that Vokia’s election as MP for Northeast Guadalcanal was null and void. Vokia was tried on four grounds but Justice Kouhota dismissed one ground of bribery.

Mrs Vokia won the by-election and she remained the MP for North East Guadalcanal until 31st December 2023.

Meanwhile, the last house had the most female MPs in the country’s political history with four in total.

Another two female MPs’ will still contest their seats in East Makira and Temotu Vatud respectively.

All four female former MPs were members of the last government.