Solomon Islands

Manasseh Sogavare elected prime minister of Solomon Islands

However, it was shrouded in controversy as 15 MPs abstained from voting.

Mr Sogavare was voted into power this afternoon at Parliament House in Honiara, polling 34 votes over his rival Matthew Wale in the 50 seat Parliament.

This will be Mr Sogavare's fourth prime ministership, his previous stints being in 2000, 2006 and most recently in 2014.

Two out of his last three terms as prime minister were cut short by no-confidence motions.

Date set for Solomons MPs to elect prime minister

The governor general, Sir Frank Kabui, announced the date yesterday and also informed MPs that nominations for the top job opened today and would close on Thursday.

Each prime ministerial candidate must be nominated by four MPs.

MPs cast secret ballots in the vote which will start at 9:30am at parliament.

In order to win, a candidate must secure an absolute majority of the 50 votes.

If there are several candidates and an absolute majority cannot be achieved voting will continue by rounds of elimination.

Incumbents dominate early election results in Solomon Islands

Seven of the ten seats declared overnight were returned to their former occupants.

The only three new MPs so far are former clerk to parliament Clezy Rore, who ousted former finance minister Milner Tozaka for the North Vella La Vella Constituency seat.

The former permanent secretary of the ministry of finance Harry Kuma who ousted former commerce minister Connelly Sandakabatu for the Northwest Choiseul seat and finally Robertson Galokale who ousted Elijah Doromuala for the South Choiseul seat.

First results of Solomon's election expected today

All of the ballot boxes from yesterday's poll are being transported to central locations in the provincial capitals for counting. And counting for those areas closer to the capital begins today.

The turnout for the election was strong with some areas reporting 100 percent participation.

But this was marred by reports of some voters not being able to cast their votes because they were unable to locate their polling stations or had the wrong identification.

Observers hope for smooth Solomons election

The group is made up of eminent persons from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Mr Kilman said his team of 15 would travel to several provinces including the capital Honiara and observe the organisation and conduct of the election including the environment in which it is held.

Crocodile attacks on the rise in Solomons says report

Released last month "Human-crocodile conflict in Solomon Islands" is a report on a nationwide survey conducted by the WorldFish Program in 234 villages across Solomon Islands between April and August last year.

The report documented a total of 225 crocodile attacks on people. One of its authors Jan van der Ploeg says the real number of attacks is likely to be higher, because many villages and indeed whole islands were not visited.

In the 20 year period from 1998 to 2017 a total of 194 attacks were reported.

NZDF delivers voting equipment for Solomons

Air Commodore Tim Walshe said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided the voting screens to the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission.

New Zealand, together with its Pacific partners, contributed to restoring peace and stability in the Solomons in the early 2000s so they are pleased to support the islands again in a tangible way as it prepared for the elections, Mr Walshe said.

The RNZAF Boeing 757 flew to Honiara to deliver the voting equipment, as well as supplies for the Fred Hollows Foundation, an NGO providing eyecare in the region.

     

New Hekari academy manager eyes futsal

The Hekari United Football Club flew in Jerry Sam and his brother to help build the team in preparation for the National Super League competition.  

With a strong background in futsal, Jerry Sam and elder brother and Hekari head coach, Jerry Allen, will use their expertise to further strengthen one of the toughest teams in the country.

Sam, who has 10 years of futsal experience under his belt, believes that this variant of football can be used to develop players to soccer.

Village torched in Solomons arson attack

The police said more than 30 people were involved in looting and torching the houses at Taravo Village on Sunday in the Titige area west of the capital, Honiara.

The perpatrators are believed to have been retaliating after one of their own people was attacked and wounded the day before.

Armed with knives and stones, they attacked in the early hours of Sunday morning cutting down trees and crops, killing animals, looting and setting fires.

Taravo's 50 residents escaped into the bush to seek shelter.

Solomons warlord makes plea for forgiveness

The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation reports that Keke and some of his followers made the plea at a prison reconciliation ceremony.

Keke was a leader in the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army, a guerilla group which took up arms in the late 1990s and mounted a campaign of intimidation against Malaitans on Guadalcanal.

He is serving a life sentence for murder after he arrested by peacekeepers in 2003.

The Corrections Service said Keke apologised to his victims at the ceremony and pleaded for forgiveness.