'Change is coming': Matthew Wale becomes Solomons PM after tight parliamentary vote

Matthew Cooper Wale has been elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands after a close vote in parliament in Honiara on Friday.

The vote ends weeks of political upheaval following a no-confidence motion against former leader Jeremiah Manele.

Wale, the longtime opposition leader and head of the Solomon Islands Democratic Party, won a secret ballot of MPs 26 to 22 over former foreign affairs minister Peter Shanel Agovaka.

The result was decided behind closed doors in parliament with the country’s political future effectively in the hands of lawmakers as they chose a new leader.

Security was tight in the capital Honiara with extra police deployed on the streets as the vote took place inside parliament.

Wale, 57, has been a major figure in Solomon Islands politics for more than 20 years. First elected in a 2008 by-election, he has since held his seat through four general elections.

Jeremiah Manele, former Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament last week. Photo/Supplied

Speaking outside parliament after his win, Wale signalled a shift in tone and direction for the country.

“It is a great privilege indeed and an honour to be elected your prime minister today,” he said.

“The government that I lead will do its utmost to serve. Please help keep us accountable and responsible.

Former foreign minister Peter Shanel Agovaka, who was among 19 government MPs who defected to the opposition, lost the secret ballot of MPs 26 to 22 to Matthew Wale. Photo/RNZ Pacific/Koroi Hawkins

“When we act as if we are your lords, please remind us we are your servants.

“We take government at a difficult time, given what is happening throughout the world. We are not immune from the impasse of these geopolitical events.

“Fellow Solomon Islanders, change is coming. These changes are necessary and may be painful. I ask that you join with your government by putting your hand to the plough.”

Wale’s rise marks a shift in leadership at a time when the Solomon Islands has been under close international attention over its foreign policy direction and growing geopolitical competition in the region.

He has previously been a vocal critic of the country’s 2022 security pact with China, at one point calling for it to be revoked.

But political analysts have said any major shift in foreign policy is unlikely in the short term, with most expecting continuity in relations with both China and Australia.

The leadership change comes as the Solomon Islands continues to sit at the centre of wider strategic competition in the Pacific with external partners closely watching political developments in Honiara.

For now, Wale says his focus is on domestic stability, accountability, and reform as he begins his time in office under pressure to deliver on his promise that “change is coming".