1980 Solomon Islands general election
General elections were held in the Solomon Islands on 6 August 1980.[1] They were the first since independence has been achieved two years earlier. The Solomon Islands United Party led by Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea emerged as the largest party, winning 16 of the 38 seats. Following the elections, Kenilorea was re-elected Prime Minister.[2]
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All 38 seats in the National Parliament 19 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign
A total of 244 candidates contested the 38 seats.[3]
Results
Around two-thirds of incumbent MPs lost their seats.[3]
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Islands United Party | 10,437 | 18.10 | 16 | |
| People's Alliance Party | 9,085 | 15.76 | 10 | |
| National Democratic Party | 4,878 | 8.46 | 2 | |
| Independents | 33,264 | 57.69 | 10 | |
| Total | 57,664 | 100.00 | 38 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 99,843 | – | ||
| Source: Nohlen et al. | ||||
The election result in West Honiara was annulled by the Electoral Commission after the High Court ruled that the winning candidate Ben Gale had committed electoral offences.[4] The by-election was held in August 1981 and was won by Gordon Billy Gatu of the National Democratic Party who received 681 votes to the 290 for Frank Saemala of the SIUP and 245 for Lilly Ogatina Poznanski, who ran as an independent.[5]
Aftermath
Following the elections Kenilorea was re-elected Prime Minister, defeating People's Alliance Party leader Solomon Mamaloni by 25 votes to 5. He formed a government with the support of a group of independents led by Francis Billy Hilly, who became Deputy Prime Minister.[6]
| Position | Member | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Peter Kenilorea | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Health | Francis Billy Hilly | Independent |
| Minister of Agriculture and Lands | Waeta Ben | Independent |
| Minister of Education | Geoffrey Beti | Independent |
| Minister of Finance | Benedict Kinika | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Minister of Home Affairs | Philip Kapini | Independent |
| Minister of Law and Information | Lawry Wickham | Independent |
| Minister of Natural Resources | Paul Tovua | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Minister of Trade, Industry and Labour | Pulepada Ghemu | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Minister of Transport and Communications | Moffat Bonunga | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Minister of Works and Public Utilities | Tony Harihiru | Solomon Islands United Party |
| Minister of Youth and Cultural Affairs | Denis Lulei | Independent |
References
- Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p801 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
- Solomon Islands Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Solomon Islands voters tip 'em out Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1980, p9
- New poll ordered in Honiara Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1981, p6
- Loser wins in Honiara by-election Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1981, p6
- Kenilorea back with new ministry Pacific Islands Monthly, October 1980, p5