Yearbook 2010
Solomon Islands. This year’s parliamentary elections were threatened by the election authorities’ lack of resources. According to COUNTRYAAH, Solomon Islands has the population of 652,858 (2018). The electoral lengths needed updating, and there was no funding for work on a new federal constitution that was not ready for the election. But the election was held, and a new opposition party had been formed. Opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare headed the OUR party (Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party).
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see how the two letter abbreviation of SB stands for the country of Solomon Islands in geography.
According to softwareleverage, the Solomon Islands elections in early August became calm without feared violence. The winner was the Democratic Party, led by Planning Minister Steve Abana, who took 14 of Parliament’s 50 seats. OUR took four terms. Otherwise, it was small parties and independent members elected. Prime Minister Derek Sikua entered parliament, but many of his allies were voted out. The government negotiations became difficult, but after three weeks Parliament elected Danny Philip from the RDP (Reform Democratic Party) as new prime minister. The OUR party and the Rural Party were part of the government together with independent politicians.
At the end of the year, violence occurred in the capital Honiara, since the former militia leader and later Minister Jimmy Lusibaea were sentenced to prison for violent crimes during the civil war. The ruling also deprived Lusibaea of his seat in Parliament.
The government’s problems increased when Prime Minister Philip was forced to dismiss Forest Minister Bodo Dettke, after he was accused of abuse of power with the aim of promoting personal business interests.