The former foreign minister wins the support of 31 lawmakers in a 50-member House of Representatives in an election closely watched by China, the United States and Australia.
Lawmakers in the Solomon Islands have elected former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele as their new prime minister.
Manele, who has vowed to continue the Pacific country’s China-friendly foreign policy, won 31 votes in a secret vote on Thursday.
His opponent, long-time opposition leader Matthew Wale, secured 18 votes.
The vote in the 50-member parliament came amid increased security in the capital Honiara, with police squadrons patrolling parliament grounds to ward off possible unrest.
In a speech to parliament, Manele praised the fact that violence in the past had not been repeated.
“The people have spoken,” he said. “We showed the world today that we are better.”
Manele’s appointment came after a political party failed to secure a majority in national elections last month. The two camps had been lobbying to win the support of independents in the 50-member chamber ahead of Thursday’s vote on the prime minister.
The election will be closely watched by China, the United States and neighboring Australia as outgoing Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare struck a security deal with China in 2022 and may have implications for regional security.
Sogavare, who developed close ties with Beijing during his five years in office, did not seek re-election to the top political office and his party backed Manele. The politician was foreign minister in 2019 when the Solomon Islands turned its back on Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with Beijing.
Manele’s OUR party, which has pledged to expand the island nation’s infrastructure, won 15 seats and four seats as part of a renewed coalition with two micro-parties. She needed the support of independents to achieve the 26 seats needed for a majority. In the absence of one MP, a total of 49 votes were cast.
Lowy Institute research fellow Mihai Sora, a former Australian diplomat in the Solomon Islands, said Manele had “a strong track record of working well with all international partners,” compared to Sogavare, who was “a polarizing figure.”
Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith said Manele was capable and “a big change of style” for the Solomon Islands.
Manele has promised a “government of national unity” that would focus on improving the economy and “progressing on our path to recovery” after the COVID-19 pandemic. He said draft laws on a value-added tax, establishing a special economic zone and rules for national resources would be high on the new government’s agenda.
Wale, the opposition leader who leads a 20-member party coalition called CARE, said on Wednesday that the government had failed to create jobs and that the economy was dominated by logging and mining companies that shipped resources to China while this The case is that health clinics are unable to obtain basic medications such as paracetamol.