Solomon Islands general election, 2006
Encyclopedia
General elections were held on 5 April 2006 in the Solomon Islands
. No party managed to win more than four of the fifty seats, while thirty seats went to independent candidates
. A number of those subsequently formed an Association of Independent Members of Parliament, with Snyder Rini
as their leader. Rini was elected Prime Minister
by Parliament on 18 April, amidst "widespread street protests" in Honiara
, which caused particular damage in the city's Chinatown. Rioters "alleged corruption and insisted that Mr. Rini had been unfairly favoring Chinese businessmen". While the riots ceased with the arrival of Australia
n and New Zealand
peacekeeping troops the next day, the Opposition soon lodged a motion of no confidence
in Rini's premiership. Rini resigned on 26 April, having been Prime Minister for just eight days. Opposition parties united in a coalition and succeeded in having Manasseh Sogavare
, of the Solomon Islands Social Credit Party
, elected Prime Minister on 4 May.
Australia sent a 10 member observer delegation to monitor the election, led by Senator Marise Payne
, and comprising MPs Bob Sercombe and Michael Ferguson
, former Queensland Electoral Commissioner, Bob Longland, and six experienced officials from the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence and AusAID
. The Australian observer delegation was joined by other international observer teams from New Zealand
, Japan
, the USA
, the Commonwealth Secretariat
and the Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat. The UN Electoral Assistance Division coordinated the consolidated international observer effort.http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa030_06.html The international observers’ interim assessment said the polling process was transparent and well-conducted, and voters were able to exercise a free and secret vote.http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=4221/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl
Twenty-six women candidates stood in the election, but none were elected, making the Solomons' Parliament one of the world's few all-male legislatures.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. No party managed to win more than four of the fifty seats, while thirty seats went to independent candidates
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. A number of those subsequently formed an Association of Independent Members of Parliament, with Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini is a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the eighth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and has been Minister for Finance and Treasury since December 2007...
as their leader. Rini was elected Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is Solomon Islands' head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm. Since August 2010, the Prime Minister has been Danny Philip of the Reform...
by Parliament on 18 April, amidst "widespread street protests" in Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, which caused particular damage in the city's Chinatown. Rioters "alleged corruption and insisted that Mr. Rini had been unfairly favoring Chinese businessmen". While the riots ceased with the arrival of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
peacekeeping troops the next day, the Opposition soon lodged a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in Rini's premiership. Rini resigned on 26 April, having been Prime Minister for just eight days. Opposition parties united in a coalition and succeeded in having Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was the sixth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2007. He has served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul since 1997, and he is currently the Leader of the Opposition.-Biography:Sogavare was Permanent...
, of the Solomon Islands Social Credit Party
Solomon Islands Social Credit Party
The Solomon Islands Social Credit Party is a political party in the Solomon Islands that espouses social credit theories of monetary reform....
, elected Prime Minister on 4 May.
Australia sent a 10 member observer delegation to monitor the election, led by Senator Marise Payne
Marise Payne
Marise Ann Payne is an Australian politician. She is a Liberal Senator for the state of New South Wales. Senator Payne was appointed to the Senate on 9 April 1997, and elected in 2001 for a full term, and again in 2007.-Early life:...
, and comprising MPs Bob Sercombe and Michael Ferguson
Michael Ferguson
Michael Darrel Joseph Ferguson is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2004 to 2007, representing the electorate of Bass...
, former Queensland Electoral Commissioner, Bob Longland, and six experienced officials from the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence and AusAID
Australian Agency for International Development
AusAID is the Australian Government agency responsible for managing Australia's overseas aid program...
. The Australian observer delegation was joined by other international observer teams from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Commonwealth Secretariat
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and the Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
Secretariat. The UN Electoral Assistance Division coordinated the consolidated international observer effort.http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa030_06.html The international observers’ interim assessment said the polling process was transparent and well-conducted, and voters were able to exercise a free and secret vote.http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=130/focusContentID=4221/tableName=mediaRelease/overideSkinName=newsArticle-full.tpl
Twenty-six women candidates stood in the election, but none were elected, making the Solomons' Parliament one of the world's few all-male legislatures.