Solomon Islands premier ousted in no-confidence vote

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele was ousted Thursday in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, ending his two-year tenure.

Manele lost the vote with 26 lawmakers backing the motion in the 50-member parliament, while two members were absent.

He will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is elected, a process expected to take place next week, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The new governing bloc has not yet nominated a candidate, although longtime opposition leader Matthew Wale and former Foreign Minister Peter Shannel Agovaka are considered likely contenders.

Agovaka defected from Manele’s government to support the no-confidence motion.

“Loyalty is a valuable currency,” Manele said in his final parliamentary address. “But I strongly agree that history is on my side.”

The prime minister began losing support from government lawmakers in March amid domestic grievances, corruption allegations and criticism of what opponents described as weak and indecisive leadership.

Lawmakers later pushed for a no-confidence vote, which Manele initially rejected, triggering a two-month legal battle that reached the High Court before Thursday’s parliamentary session.

The Solomon Islands have experienced rioting and unrest during previous no-confidence motions.

Although no unrest is currently expected, around 1,000 police officers have been deployed across the capital Honiara as a precaution.