Solomon Islands became independent from Britain on 7 July 1978. The country is a constitutional monarchy with a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy system. There is a 50 member unicameral parliament elected by the people every four years, and is chaired by an independent Speaker. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (since 7 July 1978) is head of state and is represented by His Excellency Sir Frank Utu Ofagioro Kabui, Governor General (since 7 July 2009). The governor general is appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (and is eligible for a second term). The prime minister is elected by a majority vote in the parliament. The outgoing prime minister, Dr Derek Sikua, has held office since 20 December 2007 (the last general election was held on 5 April 2006).
Solomon Islands politics has been characterised by weak political structures and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent motions of no confidence and the make up of the cabinet changes frequently as a result. A further by-product of the history of instability is the staggering 24 government ministries in a parliament of just 50 seats. Despite the high number of no confidence motions, only one prime minister has lost office in a vote of no confidence in parliament – Manasseh Sogavare was toppled in December 2007 – although others have resigned instead of facing a vote. Former education minister, Derek Sikua was elected by the parliament to lead the government in December 2007 and has remained in office to the end of the term.
In an attempt to address the inherent instability in the political system, the Constitution (Political Parties Amendment) Bill 2009 was introduced by the outgoing government. The bill was subject to intense debate both in parliament and amongst the wider community. The vote, two days before the dissolution of parliament in April 2010, failed by two votes to reach the required two thirds majority for the bill to pass into law.
The country is also still in the process of rebuilding the systems and trust in government following the civil unrest between 1997-2003. While many challenges remain, the recently launched Truth and Reconciliation Commission is widely considered a valuable step in the national healing process.
An astonishing 509 candidates have registered to contest the 50 seats on offer in the 2010 elections, up from the 453 nominations for the 2006 polls. Only days out from the elections, most candidates have yet to declare their affiliation with a political party or grouping, and that is only likely to occur after the general election and in the lead up to the parliamentary vote to determine who will be the next prime minister. Given the geographic, ethnic and cultural diversity of Solomon Islands, an increasing emphasis on local, independent candidates could exacerbate the issues of having such a diverse parliament with few unifying ideologies. The challenge for political leaders and aspiring candidates will be to harness the diversity of public sentiment and building workable alliances.
Providing accessible information to voters on political party platforms and policies is a crucial step in this process. Political parties need strategies for communicating with the public about their ideas and policies. Without them, parties and candidates can only rely on personality, family, kinship and money. If the political system is to foster an inclusive national debate on the pressing development issues, voters need to be able to evaluate the ideas and policies put forward by their politicians before every election.
As far as possible, the information contained in this publication is based on interviews with party leaders and officials and on official party documents where these exist or could be obtained. Any mistakes are entirely our own. The profiles focus on the present and the future, rather than the past. Where possible, however, historical background has been included. This is an essential part of any transparent curriculum vitae and is not intended in any way to compromise any party or individual politician.
We have tried to capture the major debates as stated by the political parties themselves. We have included entries for a number of new, start-up parties formed to contest the 2010 elections. Many of these parties may not have their candidates elected, but we have included them to capture the broad range of public policy issues being discussed presently in the country.
This publication is by no means the complete guide to political parties and groupings in the Solomon Islands. It is offered to people interested in Solomon Islands politics as a source of up to date information about the parties and groupings that shape the political landscape, how they have changed over time, the people behind them, and importantly the ideas and policies the leaders have for the future development of the Solomon Islands. As is the case in Solomon Islands, many of the parties/groupings will become redundant after the election and as the complex negotiations take place ahead of the parliamentary vote for the prime ministership. As a living document we will attempt to keep this resource as up to date as possible as new information comes to hand.
Every effort has been made to profile all parties contesting the 2010 election, however, some have not released any material in the public domain prior to our publication deadline. Further, the authors acknowledge the legitimacy of independent candidates, however were not able to profile them in this publication as there are simply too many.
We welcome any feedback or additions and wish all candidates the best of luck!
