Solomon Islands needs new coalition government after split general election

The party led by Solomon Island's Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare emerged with the highest number of seats in the 2024 general election, but fell short of the required majority to form a government independently, Solomon Island Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) reported.

Consequently, negotiations for coalition-building among parties and elected members will take place to seek a new prime minister and establish a new government.

A total of 334 candidates vied for the 50 seats in the parliament, including 219 candidates from political parties and 115 independent candidates.

The OUR party led by Sogavare, namely the Ownership, United and Responsibility Party, won 15 seats out of 50 in the new parliament, while the opposition Coalition for Accountability Reform and Empowerment (CARE) had 13 seats altogether, which consists of the Solomon Islands Democratic Party, the Democratic Alliance Party, and the UMI for Change Party (one seat), according to SIBC.

The Solomon Islands United Party (UP) secured 7 members of parliament, followed by the Solomon Islands Peoples First Party (SIPFP) with 3 members, the Kandere Party (KP) with 1 member and the Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA) with 1 member.

Meanwhile, 10 independent candidates have been elected as members of parliament.

While the OUR party emerged as the largest party in terms of seats, it did not cross the threshold needed to independently govern. This has set the stage for intense negotiations and discussions among the different parties and elected officials.

As the ones winning most of the seats, the OUR party, the CARE and UP now have the upper hand to influence other parties to form a coalition, both of whom need to negotiate with smaller parties or independent candidates to secure a majority in parliament.

Speaking to SIBC, Gordon Nanau, senior lecturer in politics and international affairs at the University of the South Pacific, said that independent candidates do have power in determining the formation of a new government despite the sizable number of seats secured by major parties.

He added that politics in the Solomon Islands at present remain uncertain.

The presence of the 10 independent candidates does add uncertainty to the political landscape of the Solomon Island, as their affiliations can make a huge difference in influencing the balance of power in coalition discussions.

Xinhua contributed to this report.