Editing Politics of Solomon Islands (section)

==Political history==
Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent [[motion of no confidence|votes of no confidence]], and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common.

The first post-independence government was elected in August 1980. Prime Minister [[Peter Kenilorea]] was head of government until September 1981, when he was succeeded by [[Solomon Mamaloni]] as the result of a realignment within the parliamentary coalitions. Following the November 1984 elections, Kenilorea was again elected Prime Minister, to be replaced in 1986 by his former deputy [[Ezekiel Alebua]] following shifts within the parliamentary coalitions. The next election, held in early 1989, returned Solomon Mamaloni as Prime Minister. [[Francis Billy Hilly]] was elected Prime Minister following the national elections in June 1993, and headed the government until November 1994 when four Cabinet Ministers were allegedly bribed by a foreign logging company to shift their parliamentary loyalties and bring Solomon Mamaloni back to power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2000/02/24/000094946_99031910570559/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf|title=page 32}}</ref><ref>http://www.native-net.org/archive/nl/9512/0134.html{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The national election of 6 August 1997 resulted in [[Bartholomew Ulufa'alu]]'s election as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government, which christened itself the [[Solomon Islands Alliance for Change]]. In June 2000, an insurrection mounted by militants from the island of [[Malaita]] resulted in the brief detention of Ulufa’alu and his subsequent forced resignation. Prior to this Ulufa'alu had requested Australian intervention to stabilise the deteriorating situation in Solomon Islands, which was refused. [[Manasseh Sogavare]], leader of the [[People's Progressive Party (Solomon Islands)|People's Progressive Party]], was chosen Prime Minister by a loose coalition of parties. New elections in December 2001 brought [[Sir Allan Kemakeza]] into the Prime Minister's chair with the support of a coalition of parties. Bartholomew Ulufa’alu was Leader of the Opposition.

Kemakeza attempted to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, but the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread [[extortion]], and ineffective police prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. In July 2003, [[Australia]]n and [[Pacific Island]] police and troops arrived in the Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australian-led [[Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands]] (RAMSI). The mission, consisting of a policing effort, military support, and a large development component, largely restored law and order to Honiara and the other provinces of Solomon Islands. Efforts are now underway to identify a donor base and reestablish credible systems of governance and financial management.

In the 2006 legislative election Kemakeza's People's Alliance Party suffered a major defeat, losing more than half its seats. However Deputy Prime Minister Synder Rini succeeded in gaining the support of enough Independent Members of Parliament to form government. This resulted in rioting in the capital of Honiara. Much of the violence was directed at Chinese businessmen who were accused of influencing the election result. Reinforcements to RAMSI stabilised the situation, but not before serious damage was done to the nation's already fragile economy. Rini resigned shortly before a motion of no confidence was due to take place, and was succeeded by Manasseh Sogavare, a former Prime Minister.

The inability of RAMSI to oversee a peaceful election has raised serious doubts about the success of the mission.

In 2006, [[Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands#Riots following 2006 general election|riots]] broke out following the election of [[Snyder Rini]] as Prime Minister, destroying part of Chinatown and displacing more than 1,000 Chinese residents; the large Pacific Casino Hotel was also totally gutted.<ref name=McKinnon2009>{{cite news|author=Spiller, Penny|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4930994.stm |title=Riots highlight Chinese tensions|work=[[BBC News]] |date=21 April 2006|access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> The commercial heart of Honiara was virtually reduced to rubble and ashes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Huisken |first1=Ron |last2=Thatcher |first2=Meredith |title=History as Policy: Framing the debate on the future of Australia's defence policy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DXnJPUAHOMC&pg=PA92 |year=2007 |publisher=ANU E Press |isbn=978-1-921313-56-1 |page=92}}</ref> Three [[National Parliament of the Solomon Islands|National Parliament]] members, [[Charles Dausabea]], [[Nelson Ne'e]], and [[Patrick Vahoe]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/third-solomons-mp-arrested-over-riot/2006/04/24/1145730850134.html?page=2 |title=Third Solomons MP arrested over riot|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=24 April 2006|access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> were arrested during or as a result of the riots. The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), the 16-country Pacific Islands Forum initiative set up in 2003 with assistance from Australia, intervened, sending in additional police and army officers to bring the situation under control. A vote of no confidence was passed against the Prime Minister. Following his resignation, a five-party Grand Coalition for Change Government was formed in May 2006, with Manasseh Sogavare as Prime Minister, quelling the riots and running the government. The military part of [[Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands|RAMSI]] was withdrawn in 2013 and rebuilding took shape.<ref name=Doing>{{cite web|url=http://www.pitic.org.au/pdfs/bigs/solomons.pdf |title=Doing Business in the Solomon Islands |access-date=24 September 2012 |publisher=pitic.org.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410143719/http://www.pitic.org.au/pdfs/bigs/solomons.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2009, the government is scheduled to set up a [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Solomon Islands)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]], with the assistance of [[South Africa]]n Archbishop [[Desmond Tutu]], to "address people’s traumatic experiences during the five-year ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal".<ref name="RNZI_41836">{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=41836 |title=Solomon Islands moves closer to establishing truth and reconciliation commission |date=4 September 2008 |work=[[Radio New Zealand International]] |access-date=3 October 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=3512 "Archbishop Tutu to Visit Solomon Islands"], ''Solomon Times'', 4 February 2009</ref>

The government continues to face serious problems, including an uncertain economic outlook, [[deforestation]], and [[malaria]] control. At one point, prior to the deployment of RAMSI forces, the country was facing a serious financial crisis. While economic conditions are improving, the situation remains unstable.

===2021 unrest===
[[File:蔡英文總統接見索羅門群島總理蘇嘉瓦瑞伉儷訪華團.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Manasseh Sogavare]] with [[Taiwanese President]] [[Tsai Ing-wen]] in July 2016]]

{{main|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}
In 2019, the central government under Prime Minister [[Manasseh Sogavare]] withdrew recognition of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] and established relations with the mainland [[China|People's Republic of China]]. [[Malaita Province]], however, continued to be supported by Taiwan and the [[United States]], the latter sending US$25 million of aid to the island in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=15 October 2020|title=China convinced the Solomons to switch allegiances. Its one rebel province is now in line for $35m in US aid|language=en-AU|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-16/us-aid-increase-solomon-islands-china-independence-malaita/12765310|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> The premier of Malaita Province, [[Daniel Suidani]], also held an independence referendum in 2020 which the national government has dismissed as illegitimate.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Kaye|first1=Ron|last2=Packham|first2=Colin|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia to deploy police, military to Solomon Islands as protests spread|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/solomon-islands-enters-36-hour-lockdown-after-protests-turn-violent-2021-11-25/|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> Rising unemployment and poverty, worsened by the border closure during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], have also been cited as a cause of the unrest.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-27|title=Three killed in Solomon Islands unrest, burnt bodies found in Chinatown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3157584/solomon-islands-unrest-three-killed-honiaras-chinatown-burnt-bodies-found|access-date=2021-11-27|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref> Chinese businesses were also accused of giving jobs to foreigners instead of locals.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2021-11-26|title=Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tension|url=https://apnews.com/article/china-violence-australia-riots-race-and-ethnicity-3787313a6a1f8b863427b066b0dcbbaa|access-date=2021-11-27|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref>

The protests were initially peaceful,<ref name=":02021">{{Cite web|date=25 November 2021|title=Police use tear gas in Solomon Islands - Taipei Times|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2021/11/25/2003768486|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[Taipei Times]]}}</ref> but turned violent on 24 November 2021 after buildings adjoining the [[Solomon Islands Parliament Building]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lagan|first=Bernard|title=Solomon Islands protesters burn parliament and Chinese shops in anti-Beijing riots|language=en|newspaper=[[The Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/solomon-islands-protestors-burn-parliament-and-chinese-shops-in-anti-beijing-riots-005n69hhr|access-date=25 November 2021|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> were burnt down. Schools and businesses were closed down as police and government forces clashed with protesters. Violence escalated as [[Honiara|Honiara's]] [[Chinatown, Honiara|Chinatown]] was looted.<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 November 2021|title=Solomon Islands: Australia sends peacekeeping troops amid riots|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59412000|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia sending troops to Solomon Islands as protests spread|url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1977914435906|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Most of the protesters came from [[Malaita Province]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=McGuirk|first=David Rising and Rod|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia sending troops, police to Solomon Islands amid unrest|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/australia-sending-troops-police-to-solomon-islands-amid-unrest-1.5680669|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[CTV News]]|language=en|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125170343/https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/australia-sending-troops-police-to-solomon-islands-amid-unrest-1.5680669|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia sends troops and police to Solomon Islands as unrest grows|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/25/honiaras-chinatown-targeted-as-violent-protests-break-out-for-second-day-in-solomon-islands|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref>

[[Australia]] responded to the unrest by deploying [[Australian Federal Police]] and [[Australian Defence Force]] personnel following a request from the Sogavare government under the [[Australia–Solomon Islands Bilateral Security Treaty]].<ref name=Andrews>{{cite press release |last=Andrews |first=Karen |date=25 November 2021 |title=Joint media release - Solomon Islands |url=https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/KarenAndrews/Pages/joint-media-release-solomon-islands.aspx |location= Canberra|publisher=Australian Government |access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Fiji]] and [[New Zealand]] also sent peacekeepers.<ref name="AFPviaF24">{{cite news |title=Riots rock Solomon Islands capital for third day despite peacekeepers |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20211126-riots-rock-solomons-islands-capital-again-despite-australian-troop-deployment |access-date=27 November 2021 |agency=Agence France-Presse |via=France 24 |date=26 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-29|title=Fiji sends 50 peacekeepers to Solomon Islands|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/fiji-sends-50-peacekeepers-to-solomon-islands|access-date=2021-11-29|website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Since 2024 ===

In May 2024, [[Jeremiah Manele|Jeremiah Manel]] was elected as the Solomon Islands new prime minister to succeed  Manasseh Sogavare.<ref>{{cite news |title=Solomon Islands elects ex-top diplomat as new prime minister |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/2/solomon-islands-elects-jeremiah-manele-as-new-prime-minister |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>