dpa
Sydney
Solomon Islands lawmakers on Thursday elected Jeremiah Manele as prime minister of the South Pacific nation.
Manele won 31 votes to 18 over opposition leader Matthew Wale in the secret ballot, Governor General David Vunagi announced on the steps of Parliament in Honiara. Manele said he was humbled by the appointment. “I will discharge my duties diligently and with integrity. I will at all times put the interests of our people and country above all other interests,” he said following Vunagi’s announcement. “Leading a nation is never an easy task. I ask that you remember me and your government in your daily prayers so we may serve as our lord commands.” Manele was the country’s foreign minister in 2019, when the Solomon Islands ended its diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China.
In 2022, Beijing announced the Solomon Islands had signed a new security agreement, which was viewed critically in many Western countries including Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
China said the new security deal would clear the way for Beijing to help the South Pacific nation, which is about 2,000 kilometres north-east of Australia. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Manele on his election in a post on X.
