Election Watch
Solomon Islands
Flags of Solomon Islands and China flutter near the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China July 11, 2023.
REUTERS/Florence Lo
April 10, 2024
The Solomon Islands is expected to call national elections in April, with tensions over the Pacific Island’s ties to China in the spotlight.
History: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China soon after coming to power in 2019. Later, the strategically located island nation forged a security pact with Beijing that alarmed Washington.
The election is a referendum on China. Sogavare is leading but the opposition figure, United Party's Peter Kenilorea, is campaigning on changing tact. He wants to review the security pact and re-establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He has criticized the government for trading control for money from China. China provided a $2.49 million fund to be spent at Sogavare's discretion, with payments made to 39 out of 50 lawmakers.
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