Manele is our new PM

Solomon Islands now has a new Prime Minister. He is the MP for Hograno Kia Havulei, Jeremiah Manele, who beat his only rival Matthew Wale 31 to 18 votes, the MP for Aoke Langalanga, after this morning’s election behind closed doors conducted by the Governor General, Sir David Vunagi.

Manele was the candidate for OUR Party and its minor parties of People First, Kadare and some independent MPs under the newly created Coalition of National Unity and Transformation (CNUT).

The former foreign minister, Manele takes the helm from Manasseh Sogavare who stepped away from seeking leadership at the party level which should automatically put him forward as the PM’s candidate for the CNUT.

Manele is a third time parliamentarian and held ministerial, and even very senior positions in the government including Secretary to the Prime Minister in his career.

All along during the heavy lobbying he held the upper hand with numbers especially with the elected independent MPs who grouped together and supported his candidature.