China-friendly Jeremiah Manele picked as Solomon Islands PM by lawmakers
- Manele said reviving growth and establishing a special economic zone would be at the top of the new government’s agenda
- He was foreign minister in 2019 when Honiara turned its back on Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with Beijing
Solomon Islands lawmakers selected a new prime minister in a secret ballot on Thursday, choosing foreign minister Jeremiah Manele, who has pledged to continue the Pacific island nation’s foreign policy that saw it grow close to China.
Governor General David Vunagi announced outside parliament house that Manele had won 31 votes, to opposition leader Matthew Wale’s 18 votes.
Police have boosted security in the capital Honiara as newly elected lawmakers arrived at parliament on Thursday to vote.
A national election last month failed to deliver a majority to any political party, and two camps lobbied to win support from independents ahead of the vote for prime minister.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he looked forward to working closely with Manele. “Australia and Solomon Islands are close friends and our futures are connected,” Albanese wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
