New PM Wale “change is coming”

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The Member of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga, Matthew Wale, has been elected as the Solomon Islands’ 14th Prime Minister after defeating Peter Shanel Agovaka by 26 votes to 22 in Parliament today.

Wale’s victory ends 59 days of political uncertainty that saw the leadership dispute move between the courts and Parliament twice over the past eight days.

The new Prime Minister was backed by a coalition made up of opposition MPs and former members of the Peoples First Party who defected from the previous Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).

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In his maiden speech after the vote, Wale declared that “change is coming,” saying the public would begin to see those changes within the next few weeks.

Born in Malaita Province in 1968, Wale first entered Parliament in 2008 after winning the Aoke/Langalanga by-election following the death of former Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa’alu.

He later became leader of the Solomon Islands Democratic Party and rose to national prominence as Leader of the Opposition following the 2019 general election.

During the 2021 unrest in Honiara, Wale called on then Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to resign and later filed a motion of no confidence against the government, though it was defeated in Parliament.

Following the 2024 general election, Wale again contested for the prime ministership as the opposition coalition’s candidate but lost to Jeremiah Manele by 31 votes to 18 before returning as Opposition Leader.