Chimbu highlands, Kegsugl

In September 2010, two friends (Pete and Iris) and I trekked from the PNG Highlands down to the north coast. We began at the base of Mount Wilhelm in Chimbu Province (starting at an altitude of around 2,800m) and followed an old vehicle track down to the town of Madang. The trek itself took us three days and afforded stunning views along the way. It was a real treat and relatively easy to organise through Betty’s Lodge. I highly recommend it.

In addition to the trek itself, the trip had several other highlights. If you haven’t been to the Highlands before, you can get a great introduction during the five-hour road trip from Hagen through the Waghi Valley to Kundiawa and then up into the Chimbu Highlands. And at the end of the drive, we were all enchanted by our short stay at Betty’s Lodge.

We completed the trip in four days and returned to work in Moresby early on the fifth day. For fit trekkers, it should be possible to cut a day off the walk although I think that would be a shame. Alternatively, for travellers with more time, here are several very appealing variations that could be add to the basic itinerary.

• Climb Mount Wilhelm: the climb to the peak of Mount Wilhelm (at 4,509m, PNG’s highest) is very popular, even though quite a few people don’t quite make it to the top due to the effects of altitude. A typical trip might take a day to get to Betty’s Lodge, a day at base camp to adjust to the altitude and then a day up to the peak and back down to the Lodge. Thus, you could combine the climb to the peak and the walk down to the coast in six days, or longer if you wanted to spend more time in the middle relaxing at Betty’s Lodge.

• Enjoy Madang: both Madang town and Madang Province have much on offer for travellers and tourists. If you have time, this is an obvious place to relax and explore (for some suggestions, see my earlier post on Madang).

• Goroka to Mt Wilhelm trek: Goroka is a beautiful part of the Highlands (see earlier post) and apparently there is an old road from Goroka through to the base of Mt Wilhelm that takes perhaps two days to walk. If the three-day trek is not enough for you, it may be possible to start at Goroka, hike to Betty’s Lodge and then continue on to Madang (perhaps five days total). Or for the full bonanza, why not trek from Goroka to Betty’s Lodge, then head up to the peak and back and then continue all the way to Madang? I reckon it would be possible to do the whole trip in seven days if you were pushing it – and what an awesome week that would be!

The rest of this post sets out the basic four-day itinerary that we followed (Section 2) and then provides the logistical details (contacts, costs and precautions we took, Section 3). My trekking companion, Iris, has also provided a good description of the trek on her blog.

2. Four-day itinerary

DAY ONE: Port Moresby to Betty’s Lodge/Kegsugl

You should organise the trek through Betty’s Lodge both because it is relatively easy and because the Lodge and Betty herself are both wonderful (see contact details in Section 3 further below).

The simplest way to get there is to fly to Hagen. Betty’s Lodge has a small coffee shop that doubles as an office near the Hagen airport, so they can meet you when you arrive.

The drive from Hagen to Kundiawa (capital of Chimbu Province) takes about 1.5-2 hours and from there to Betty’s Lodge (near Kegsugl) is about 2-3 hours on a slow winding road with marvellous views.

Drive from Kundiawa to Kegsugl

DAY TWO: Betty’s Lodge/Kegsugl to Snowy Pass

(approx 8 hours)

Betty’s Lodge is located near the town of Kegsugl at about 2,800m altitude. The trek initially heads back down the main road from Betty’s until, after 45-60 minutes, you reach a junction. At this point you’ve already descended 2,480m and now have to do your only serious climbing for the trek.

Mondiyai Pass (2,900m) marks the border between Chimbu and Madang provinces. We got there in about three hours and then began to descend again. After a couple of hours, the road levels out a bit as it follows the ridge lines at around 2,200-2,400m. Along the way, the road passes by the small villages of Pomiyai and Pandabai, which we reached after 6-6.5 hours. We got to Snowy Pass in a bit under eight hours at an easy pace and with perhaps an hour of breaks along the way.

Snowy Pass (2,120m) is a remote but moderate sized village with a school and it’s very own Digicel tower. It has fine views of the route for the following day so take the time to get your bearings and note some of the landmarks that you will see behind you as you continue onwards.

Our accommodation at Snowy Pass

Some points to note:

• Water: There are several watering points along the way but make sure to refill each time you get the opportunity. In particular, make sure you stock up at the final point because there is no water supply at Snowy Pass itself – you have to walk some distance further down.
• Sunburn: The road on the first day is fairly exposed and although the altitude means it is not too hot, at least two of us should have applied more sunscreen along the way.
• Cold: It gets cold overnight in Snowy Pass. Even with thermals and some extra layers, we still needed the blankets that our hosts provided.

DAY THREE: Snowy Pass to Bundi

(approx 5.5 hours)

From Snowy Pass, the road snakes down and along the contours of the mountainsides. There are several water crossings along the way: perhaps three shallow crossings and three bridges, including one built for a disused hydro station not far from Bundi.

After 2.5-3 hours, we stopped for lunch at one of the bridges crossing the Kwaegu River (1,430m). This was also a nice spot to have a wash (there are no showers at Snowy Pass!).

Thereafter, the road levelled out. It took us another two hours to get to Aranam junction and perhaps 30 minutes from there to Bundi (1,410m). Thus, the day’s walk was only 5.5 hours, including around one hour for breaks.

We had one slightly unpleasant incident as we passed through the village of Bundikara (before we stopped for lunch). Some young lads, perhaps affected by grog or marijuana, suggested that we should pay them something for travelling through their village. This is rubbish and our guides politely told them so. The lads persisted and so our guides eventually gave them K5, which was enough to satisfy them. It was a small amount to pay but an unfortunate incident nonetheless.

Fit trekkers could try to press on Brahmin provided that the ‘short road’ from Bundi to Brahmin is passable. This road apparently takes about 4-5 hours but we were warned at Bundi that there had been a few incidents along that route. The alternative route, described below, took us 7 hours to get to the Imbrum Bridge, which is still perhaps 2 hours walk from Brahmin unless you can get a lift.

In short, fit trekkers might be able to shave our time down and get to Brahmin in about 8 hours (short road) or 12 hours (longer road). However, this would be a shame because Bundi affords terrific views, whereas Brahmin is down in the Ramu plain.

View from Bundi village, Madang province

DAY FOUR: Bundi to Madang

(about 7 hours walking + 4 hours by vehicle)

As mentioned above, the ‘short road’ from Bundi to Brahmin apparently takes about 4-5 hours. We were warned at Bundi that there had been a few incidents along that route so we took the ‘long road’ (with short cuts). Hopefully the short road will be safe again in future, otherwise the final day is pretty long and you should start very early to make sure you get into Madang before dark.

The short cuts involved us deviating from the main road for three steep descents. Despite assistance from our guides, a couple of us ended up on our arses several times on the way down but by taking it slowly, there was little risk of injury (although perhaps some sense of foolishness as we scrambled down a few of the more slippery points).

Even with the short cuts, it took us 3 hours to make the descent to Binaru Bridge (550m) and another 4 hours to get to the Imbrum Bridge (approx 300m), at which point our walking track met the road from Brahmin to the Ramu Highway. On most days, it should be fairly easy to hitch a lift within perhaps half an hour however we arrived on a Sunday and had to wait for two hours until our guide was able to convince someone from Brahmin to get us. (We eventually paid K150 for the trip, but there was a considerable premium for driving us on the Sunday.)

Driving from Brahmin to Madang

It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the junction with the Ramu Highway and about the same length of time for a PMV to then get to Madang (K10 per head). All up, expect a minimum of 3.5 hours driving time at the end of the walk, plus some time for negotiating transport.

We stayed overnight in Madang and then caught the early morning flight back to Moresby. (Note that this flight is often overbooked so even though you’ll want to sleep in, it’s worth checking in early.)

3. Organisation and logistics

BETTY’S LODGE

As mentioned above, you should organise the trek through Betty’s Lodge both because it is (relatively) easy and because the Lodge and Betty herself are both wonderful

The most reliable way to contact Betty’s Lodge is through their coffee shop in Hagen (+675 545 1481). Betty also has a mobile phone – 7175 8350 or bhiggins@digicelpacific.blackberry.com – but when she is up at the Lodge, she can only get reception when she stands outside (she has placed a stone, now known as the ‘Digical rock’ at the point where reception is best).

It may also be possible to contact her on 0145 112 037 (satellite phone) or Betty_Higgins_lodges@yahoo.com.au but I’m not sure that either of these are still working.

GUIDES/CARRIERS

Betty’s Lodge arranged three excellent guides/carriers (one per traveller): Toby, Otto and Augusta. In addition to lugging our packs for us, they were particularly valuable when arranging accommodation in Snowy Pass and Bundi. I highly recommend them to future trekkers.

We paid them K100 per guide per day, which is intended to cover their food along the way and also the PMV fare from Madang back to Betty’s Lodge (consequently, make sure you have some very small denominations so they can buy food at road-side stalls).

To avoid awkwardness later on, it would help to clarify the following points before you leave you: how will food purchases be arranged (we left it to the main guide, Toby), who will pay for transport to Madang (we did) and who will pay for accommodation in Madang, if required (we didn’t expect to pay for this but, when asked, we contributed K30 each).

VILLAGE ACCOMMODATION

Betty suggested that village accommodation would cost K20-30 per head but you won’t know the exact costs for accommodation until you get to the village and have negotiated a rate so take some extra cash (in smallish denominations). We paid K20 per head in Bundi and K30 per head in Snowy Pass. We did not have to pay for accommodation for our guides.

Note that Bundi mission also has some dedicated guest houses that apparently even have showers. Despite this temptation, we turned down the option when we found out the price was K60 per head. Frankly, it was much more companiable to stay in a village house for the night anyway.

MAPS

The National Mapping Bureau has electronic copies of the ‘Bundi map’ (Sheet No. 7986, Series T601, scale 1:100,000) – purchase and printing at Theodist costs K230.

You can also get hard copies of the larger scale ‘Madang map’ (Sheet No. SB 55-5, Series 1501, scale 1:250,000) for much less, perhaps K50.

We found the maps interesting so we could trace our route but they are not necessary for navigation purposes – the road is obvious and the guides know which turn to take at junctions.

BUDGET

The main costs are: flights to Hagen and from Madang (check with Air Niugini), transfer to Betty’s Lodge + fuel (K900), one night at Betty’s Lodge (K240 per head), food supplies and accommodation in Madang. Our total costs during the walk (guides, accommodation and transport) came to a bit under K1300 between the three of us. Note that we paid for the transfer and for Betty’s Lodge in cash.

FOOD

We took food for three days plus emergency supplies (and/or supplementary suppliesfor our guides). If necessary, it would be possible to buy basic supplies (hard navy biscuits, rice, some fruit and veges) at stalls along the way however I wouldn’t rely on it. For what it’s worth, here is what we took (which proved more than sufficient).

• Breakfasts: muesli (1.5kg for three people – too much!) and powdered milk
• Lunch: peanut butter (approx 1.2kg for three people) and two packs of vitawheat biscuits
• Dinner: 2 packs of two-minute noodles per person (plus substantial extras)
• Snacks: muesli bars (approx 24 between three people), dried fruit and nuts (approx 600g per person), 3 cans of peanuts

WATER

In general, there are good water sources one each day of the trek although it is important to refill when you get the chance, especially on the first and last days. One of us (me) trusted our guides’ advice about which water sources were clean. The other two, however, trusted their water purification tablets more. We each had water bottles with around 1.5-2L capacity.

OTHER SUPPLIES

• Satellite phone and GPS
• Sunblock, mosquito repellent, gastrolyte tablets/powder (plenty)
• First aid kit with: antiseptic power & antiseptic swabs; various bandaids, bandages and elastoplast; panadol and panadeine; gastrostop, anti-diahhroea treatment, anti-nausea treatment; tweezers & scissors; disposable gloves; thermal blanket
• Matches, cigarette lighter, torches

I’ve been unusually busy of late and so haven’t had the time I would like to maintain the blog.  I am heading off on holiday for the next two or so weeks, 10 days of which will be in Sollies, the remainder in Canberra.  I am very much looking forward to seeing old friends and, of course, my family .

I hope that once I return in mid-October, I will be able to resume my regular entries on Solomons politics.  Also, at some stage in the next few weeks I will write up my notes on a terrific trek some friends and I did from the New Guinea highlands to the north coast.

cheers,
Harry

There may now be four or even five separate camps.  The RDP has reportedly broken with the other members of the Pacific Casino group (OUR party and the DDP) and established itself at Red Mansion Hotel.  And several new MPs including Namson Tran, Jimmy Rasta Lusibaea and possibly some from Western Province have also reportedly established their own camp.

Derick Manu’ari has provided a good overview of the latest developments – check out his blog.

The best reports on recent developments have come from One Television (see here and here) and the Solomon Star (here).

Finally, for those who are curious about the new (or perhaps not-so-new) Independent Democratic Party, which is based at Honiara Hotel, its party secretary Leonard Kaitu’u attempted to set the record straight in a letter to the editor that also appeared on Friday 13th.

Half-old and half-new, but clearly a new generation

Peter Kenilorea – take a bow! He predicted that roughly half the incumbents would be ousted and half returned. He’s exactly right: just as in 2006, 25 MPs have been returned and 25 have been replaced (including three who did not recontest and one seat that was vacant following the recent death of late Edward Huni’ehu).

To be honest, I’m a little surprised incumbents did so well given the record number of candidates contesting the election. I’m also surprised that incumbents have won back some of the most heavily contested seats – Clay Forau, Sam Iduri, Toswell Kaua, James Tora and Gordon Darcy Lilo have all triumphed in fields of 14 or more candidates. (Admittedly, six other seats with 14 or more candidates returned new MPs, although in two of those the incumbent did not recontest.)

As I mentioned in my previous post, however, the more interesting story is which of the incumbents have been ousted. Only six MPs have returned out of the 25 who had served more than one term, and of these, two (Folotalu and Tora) have each served less than 1.5 terms, both having won a by-election at some point. By contrast, from the 24 members of the “class of 2006″, 19 have been returned.

Even with the return of an old-hand like former four-term MP Danny Philip, this parliament will have 43 MPs who have been elected to parliament within the last four years – generational change indeed. However, as I discuss further below, the five remaining old hands who have served more than two full terms – Tausinga, Philip, Rini, Sogavare and Darcy Lilo – are all exerting their influence. All five are potential prime ministerial candidates and all five are heavily involved in the current lobbying efforts for their respective parties.

Party affiliations

It is always very difficult to pin down party affiliations so I think I can be forgiven for a few errors in my previous election analysis. Here are some updates and corrections, with a summary table further below.

Overall, it now seems that there are six ‘parties’ to watch, whereas I had mainly focused on four (SIDP, OUR party, SIPRA and RDP). Perhaps the biggest development is the announcement that the influential Association of Independent Members (AIM) has been replaced by the Independent Democratic Party (IDP) and continues to receive support from businessman Tommy Chan. AIM was part of the CNURA coalition but that relationship soured after its parliamentary leader, Synder Rini, was sacked by Sikua in April.

So far, I’m only aware of two returning IDP/AIM MPs (Rini and Varian Lonamei) but the party secretary, Leonard Kaitu’u, claims that the IDP ran a ‘silent, low profile campaign’ contesting 47 electorates and that a remarkable 19 IDP candidates had won seats in the new parliament (Solomon Star, 10/08/10). This number seems very large and perhaps is somewhat inflated so as to appeal to new, inexperienced MPs. But I’m only speculating – things will become clearer in the coming days.

The other player I underestimated is the Direct Development Party, led by former SICHE Director Dick Ha’amori. New MP for East Guadalcanal, Bradley Tovosia, can claim the dubious distinction of being the first MP to change parties – he announced today that he was leaving OUR party to join the DDP (OneTV, 10/08/10).

Tovosia is closely followed by East Honiara MP, Douglas Ete, who is part of Philips’ RDP but now says that he is also affiliated with the DDP (OneTV, 9/08/10).  Finally, reports suggest that John Moffat Fugui, the new MP for Central Honiara, is also a DDP member, giving it a total of four representatives (OneTV, 8/08/10).

SIDP’s final position has strengthened with late results.  It picked up three extra seats with victories to Walter Folotalu in Lau/Mbaelelea (although this may be subject to an election petition, see more below), Alfred Ghiro in East Makira and Martin Kialoe in Malaita Outer Islands.  Furthermore, it seems that James Tora and newcomer Connelly Sadakabutu are now also with SIDP, bringing its parliamentary membership to 14.

OUR party is a little stronger (4 MPs) thanks to the victory of Joseph Onika in East Guadalcanal.

Finally, a few minor parties have a single representative each. It seems that Seth Gukuna (Rennell Bellona) joined Fred Fono’s People’s Congress Party and so with Fono’s defeat, Gukuna may be the PCP’s sole MP. Prior to the election, news reports suggested that Clay Forau (Temotu Vatud) was the chair of the People’s Federation Party – he has also been re-elected.

Nonetheless, I’m still inclined to think that the PCP, the PFP, Samuel Manetoali’s RUPP and possibly even the Liberal Party are all likely to dissolve sometime over the next term of parliament, and probably sooner rather than later.

Note: SIPRA’s fourth member is Elijah Doro Muala, who may also be with the Nasnol Pati.  I’ve updated this table to reflect a recent interview with Matthew Wale (OneTV, 13/08/10) in which he stated that the PCP has 2 MPs, the Liberals have 2, SIPRA has 3 and Nasnol has 3. All party affiliations are subject to change at short notice!

The next government – rival camps

The shape of the opposing camps is becoming a little clearer thanks in particular to these helpful reports (OneTV, 10/08/10 and Solomon Times, 11/08/10).

The first camp is formed around members of the outgoing CNURA government. They start with 11 members of the SIDP, Sikua and possibly the lone member of the PCP, Seth Gukuna.  In addition, several other former CNURA members have been returned and some are likely to ally themselves with the new Sikua/SIDP grouping.   My guess is that they will have a reasonably solid core of about 15-18 votes.

The challenge for this camp is to ensure that it has a balanced regional mix.   At present, they have a very strong Malaitan representation, several Guale MPs (Sikua, Dei Pacha and newcomer Moses Garu) and newcomer Alfred Ghiro from Makira.  To establish and maintain a stable government, I suspect that the coalition will need to be balanced with representation from the west (Western and/or Choiseul) and the east (Temotu and/or Makira).

(Update 14/08/10: SIDP now has 14 members and in a recent interview (OneTV, 13/08/10), Matthew Wale has claimed that their coalition now has 30 MPs (SIDP = 14, PCP =2, Liberals = 2, SIPRA = 3, Nasnol = 3 and independents =6, including Clay Forau, Samuel Manetoali and Martin Magga.)

A second camp is based at Honiara Hotel and includes the IDP and possibly SIPRA.  IDP Secretary Kaitu’u indicated that Rini will be a candidate for PM (Solomon Star, 10/08/10) and SIPRA has signalled that Tausinga will nominate once again (Solomon Star 10/08/10).

A third camp has established itself at Pacific Casino Hotel and revolves around OUR party, the DDP and the RDP.  Sogavare has indicated that he will be a candidate for PM (OneTV, 9/08/10) and previous Sogavare-backer, independent MP Bobo Dettke is also reported to be attached to this group.

During the election campaign, RDP’s leader, Danny Philip, signalled that he would also contest the prime ministership, meaning that the Pacific Casino camp may have to choose between at least two experienced, strong personalities. Philip was previously a foreign affairs minister for part of the first Sogavare government (2000-01), during which time he was involved in controversy when he threatened switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China ‘unless Taiwan came up with US$40 million in assistance’ (Fraenkel J 2004, The Manipulation of Custom, p.124). He later resigned in June 2001.

Earlier, Philip and Tausinga were both members of the opposition during the Ulufa’alu-SIAC government (1997-2000). Indeed, Tausinga replaced Philip as opposition leader in March 1998 ‘following allegations that Philip had misused a small project fund’ (Moore C 2004, Happy Isles in Crisis, p.102). Earlier still, Philip was Deputy PM under Mamaloni until he was sacked in 1995.

Beyond this broad sketch of the three camps, much remains uncertain. Personally, I feel for whoever is elected to represent East Makira and Malaita Outer Islands. By the time their results are declared, much of the politicking will be well advanced. And when they eventually reach Honiara, they may well be met by three different welcoming parties each hoping to woo them to their camp.

Election petitions

Various news bulletins have already reported suggestions that losing candidates my lodge petitions in West Honiara (Tran), Lau/Mbaelelea (Folotalu), Small Malaita (Hou), Maringe/Kokota (Lonamei), North East Guadalcanal (Sikua) and Ngella (Mark Kemakeza).  It remains to be seen whether any or all of these threats eventuate.   Of 31 previous election petitions that are listed on the PacLII database, only three have been successful (see my earlier post on election petitions for further details).

In West Honiara, the complaint relates to registered voters who were not resident in the electorate. In Lau/Mbaelelea, unhappy supporters of one of the candidates burned a ballot box and destroyed all the ballots inside.

Whilst both cases seem like reasonable grounds for appeal, I suspect that the size of the winning margin may also influence potential petitioners. For example, in West Honiara, Namson Tran defeated the second-placed Isaac Inoke by almost 3,000 votes, a little under 40% of the total. And in Maringe/Kokota, although the winning margin is not quite so dramatic, a win of around 400 votes (or 9% of total) would seem like a modest buffer against complaints of irregularities.

I have few details on the grounds of complaint for Small Malaita, North East Guadalcanal and Ngella, so I can’t comment on what may happen there.

Strong wins

When you’re wrong, you might as well admit it. I predicted that many MPs would win with a very low proportion of the vote, for the simple reason that there was a record number of candidates.  Contrary to my prediction, it is already clear that a remarkable number of MPs have had very big wins. At least five MPs have won more than two-thirds of the vote (Tausinga, Maelanga, Sogavare, Sofu and Manetoali).  Another four have won an absolute majority (Tran, Shanel, Lusibaea and Laore) and five more have won more than 40% of the vote.  And this just out of the 37 results of which I am aware.

I’ve already commented on some of the strong winners in my earlier post.  A couple more stand out: Samuel Manetoali faced six opponents and yet won 66.9%, whilst Bobo Dettke was challenged by 13 other candidates and still won 41.6%.

It is less surprising that four seats have been won with less than 20% of the vote and all were heavily contested.  In the most heavily contested seat of them all, John Moffat Fugui, facing 22 opponents in East Honiara, won with just 14.9%.

Incumbents – provincial analysis

The table below shows how incumbents have fared in different provinces. Honiara, Western, Guadalcanal and Makira have each replaced a large share of their MPs. Malaita, Isabel and Temotu have been kinder to their sitting MPs.

Results and party affiliations

(as at 10 August)

CENTRAL

CHOISEUL

GUADALCANAL

HONIARA

ISABEL

MAKIRA

MALAITA

RENNELL BELLONA

TEMOTU

WESTERN

Note: these results come from the SIBC web site and a report in the Island Sun.  Where the two sources overlapped and can be compared, I’ve noticed that there discrepancies in some of the figures.  Consequently, it’s possible that some of the winning votes are slightly inaccurate. I will make a note of any subsequent corrections.

Updates (11/08/10 and 14/08/10): I have updated the original post to reflect the victories of Alfred Ghiro and Martin Kialoe, both SIDP members, in East Makira and Malaita Outer Islands, respectively.  I have also updated the party numbers based on more recent reports.  Finally, I have corrected a confusion regarding the RDP and the Reform and Democratic Party – they are one and the same (for a while, I had thought that RDP stood for Rural Development Party but I was incorrect). Consequently, I have had to edit some references to the RDP and Danny Philip, particularly in the ‘rival camps’ section of this post.

Downfall of the ‘big men’, start of a new generation?

So far, the ratio of newcomers to incumbents is pretty close to 50/50. So far, so unsurprising. The big story, of course, is the fall of many high profile, long-serving MPs including former Prime Ministers Francis Billy Hilly and Allan Kemakeza, former Deputy PM Fred Fono, a couple of three-term MPs (Patteson Oti and William Haomae) and a swag of two-term MPs.

More generally, this parliament will be much less experienced than the previous one. In the outgoing parliament, there were 25 members who had already served more that one term. Of these, 14 have been defeated and three more have retired. Only five have been returned so far: Job Dudley Tausinga, Manasseh Sogavare, Snyder Rini, Gordon Darcy Lilo and James Tora. By contrast, in 2006, 13 of the 22 experienced MPs were returned.

The flip-side is that first-termers have done unusually well in this election. Of the 24 first-termers facing re-election, 17 have already been returned and only 4 have been defeated. In 2006, more than half of the first-termers were removed (15/28, plus one who did not recontest).

This suggests that the Ninth Parliament will represent something of a generational change. This may either allow a small number of old hands (such as Tausinga, Sogavare, Rini, Darcy Lilo or Danny Philip) to take charge or it may give an opportunity to the ‘class of 2006′ (such as Abana, Wale and Sikua) to come to the fore. We will see …

Party performance

With a little 20-20 hindsight, it seems fair to say that there were six main parties to watch in this election.

• OUR Party: new party, fielded around 37-41 candidates including 7 outgoing MPs, led by Manasseh Sogavare
• Democratic Party (SIDP): existing party, fielded around 21-23 candidates including 10 outgoing MPs, led by outgoing Planning Minister Steve Abana
• Rural Development Party (RDP): new party, fielded around 24-27 candidates, led by former MP and Deputy PM Danny Philip
• People’s Congress Party (PCP): new party, fielded at least 7 candidates, led by outgoing Deputy PM Fred Fono
• Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA): existing party, fielded around 22 candidates including 2 outgoing MPs, led by former Deputy PM Job Tausinga
• People’s Alliance Party (PAP): existing party, fielded at least 7 candidates including 3 outgoing MPs, spokesperson is former PM Allan Kemakeza

So far, the big winner seems to be the SIDP, with the RDP and SIPRA also picking up a few seats. OUR party has had mixed results, whilst the PCP and PAP have both fared poorly.

The SIDP has at least nine representatives in the Ninth Parliament, with seven returning MPs (Wale, Abana, Iduri, Tom, Maelanga, Sofu, Dei Pacha) and two new members: the former head of the Central Bank, Rick Hou, and Moses Garu (a former branch manager for DBSI). It has, however, lost a couple of outgoing members: Daniel Enele Kwanairara, who was defeated by Jimmy Lusibaea in North Malaita; and Severino Nuaiasi, who was defeated by John Maneniaru in West ‘Are ‘Are.

The Rural Development Party has picked up at least three seats, all of which were fairly significant contests: Philip defeated Francis Zama in South New Georgia; Douglas Ete defeated Charles Dausabea, Simeon Bouro and others in East Honiara; and Charles Sigoto defeated Francis Billy Hilly in Ranongga/Simbo.

The Party for Rural Advancement has also won at least three seats: returning MPs Job Tausinga and Gordon Darcy Lilo plus newcomer (and son of Job) Silas Tausinga, who defeated Peter Boyers in Vona Vona/West New Georgia. (It’s possible that Elijah Doro Muala was also with SIPRA, although according to the unreliable SIEC listing, he was associated with the National Party.)

OUR party has had mixed results. It also has at least three representatives: returning MPs Sogavare and Peter Shanel plus Dickson Mua Panakitasi, who defeated Allan Kemakeza in Savo/Russells. However, five outgoing MPs have been defeated (Patteson Oti, Francis Zama, Isaac Inoke, Bernard Ghiro, Japhet Waipora), although it is possible that Inoke will challenge his loss to Namson Tran in West Honiara due to alleged irregularities in voter registrations.

It is possible that Sogavare may be able to recruit two newcomers – former GCCG adviser Dick Ha’amori and a former Sogavare backer Bobo Dettke. Nonetheless, for a party that fielded the most candidates in this election and which ran one of the strongest campaigns in Solomons’ history, this must seem like a disappointing outcome.

The PAP and the PCP will both also be disappointed. Both have failed to win a single seat so far and, in the process, both have seen the defeat of their high profile leaders, Kemakeza and Fono.

I have omitted the Association of Independent Members (AIM) from my list because I don’t have any record of whether it fielded candidates and because several of its former parliamentary members had drifted to other parties or are no longer in parliament. However, it may still have some influence due to the re-election of Snyder Rini and the financial backing of its president, Tommy Chan.

(Note: technically, the Direct Development Party (Dick Ha’amori, West Makira) and the Rural and Urban Development Party (Samuel Manetoali, Gao Bugotu) have both got one member each in the new parliament. However, with only a single representative, it seems likely that these newly-found parties dissolve almost as quickly as they appeared.)

Now the lobbying begins …

No doubt party leaders and their backers will have already begun lobbying to form the next coalition government. As usual, the result will ultimately depend on the swag of incoming independents who will have to choose between two or perhaps three rival camps. Who will lead these camps?

It seems likely that the SIDP and some other members of the outgoing CNURA government will form one camp. In addition to the nine SIDP MPs, recent reports suggest that Derek Sikua is leading in North East Guadalcanal and at least six other CNURA ministers have also been returned (Milner Tozaka, Toswell Kaua, Seth Gukuna, Job Tausinga, Samuel Manetoali and James Tora).

One area of uncertainty is whether there is much fall-out from the recent fracturing of the CNURA government over the political parties integrity bill. Two of the alleged dissidents (Peter Boyers and Laurie Chan) are no longer in parliament but three others (Gordon Darcy Lilo, Snyder Rini and Selwyn Riumana) are back.

It seems likely that Sogavare (OUR party) will attempt to form a rival camp but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to build the critical mass to do so. Along with Darcy Lilo and Rini, former four-term MP Danny Philip (RDP) may prove to be a key power-broker in determining the make-up of the different camps.

A few newcomers may also have an impact on the upcoming negotiations:

• businessman Bobo Dettke (North West Guadalcanal) is no stranger to this process; he was reported to have helped finance the Sogavare camp during the 2006 negotiations
• former University of Hawai’i academic John Moffat Fugui (Central Honiara) probably knows many of the key players thanks to his previous roles as secretary of the CNURA caucus and SSPM to Allan Kemakeza
• various reports suggest that businessman Namson Tran (West Honiara) may also be influential

Strong wins

Contrary to my expectations, a number of candidates have won with very substantial majorities. Job Tausinga was always likely to do well in North New Georgia and he did, winning 74.2% of the vote. Perhaps more remarkable is Manasseh Maelanga’s performance in East Malaita. He faced six other opponents and still managed to garner 71.5%. Jimmy Lusibaea (8 opponents, 49.8%), Seth Gukuna (7 opponents, 47.9%) and Milner Tozaka (5 opponents, 45.3%) also performed strongly.

By contrast, with an open field in South Choiseul following the retirement of Rev. Leslie Boseto, the vote split fairly evenly amongst 13 candidates. The eventual winner, Elijah Muala, got in with just 18.3% of the vote. I suspect that when more results come through, Muala’s result will appear more typical than Tausinga’s or Maelanga’s.

Provincial analysis

Honiara has once again proven to be the burial ground for incumbent MPs. In fact, Honiara has not returned a sitting MP since 1993, when Charles Dausabea won re-election. (There is a small chance that this may change if: Isaac Inoke decides to petition the result in West Honiara, that petition is successful, and he wins the subsequent by-election.)

All of the Makira seats were heavily contested and the results reflect this: only one incumbent (James Tora) has been returned.

In Western province, the pattern is less predictable: two of the most heavily contested seats were won back by the incumbents (Darcy Lilo won against 13 opponents and Rini won against 11) whilst several more lightly contested seats resulted in a change. Overall, four of the nine Western MPs survived and five fell.

Isabel has also been tough on incumbents in recent elections – it returned none in either 2001 or 2006. This time, however, all three sitting members were returned. Similarly, Malaita has been kinder on its incumbents – 7 out of 14 have already been re-elected, with two results outstanding.

Guadalcanal is still awaiting the announcement of two or three seats but has already returned four incumbents (out of eight).

Choiseul returned one incumbent (Sogavare) for its three seats. Two of Temotu’s three seats are still to be declared however one incumbent (Patteson Oti) has already been ousted. Central kept one (M. Kemakeza) and removed one (A. Kemakeza) and Ren-Bell kept Seth Gukuna for another term.

A final, disappointing observation

It seems that, once again, there will be no women in the Solomons parliament as I’m pretty sure that the remaining undeclared seats have no women contesting them.

Results as at Sunday, 8 August

CENTRAL

CHOISEUL

GUADALCANAL

Note: Sikua’s election had not yet been confirmed on Sunday night but apparently he had an unbeatable lead.

HONIARA

ISABEL

MAKIRA

MALAITA

Note: some reports say that Steve Abana has won Fateleka but other sites do not confirm this yet.

RENNELL BELLONA

TEMOTU

WESTERN

• Solomon Times online – 2010 election page
• Derick Manu’ari’s blog – 2010 election page
• Tutuvatu public forum – reporting by Arekaman
• SIBC – 2010 election page
• SI PM & Cabinet web site – 2010 election page (less useful)

I hope to post some initial comment and analysis on the election results at some stage over the weekend.

I have published the full list of candidates for each province. Several contributors have added a considerable amount to the information I had gathered – please feel free to add comments with further info. Here are the posts for each province: Malaita, Guadalcanal, Western, Makira, Honiara, Choiseul, Temotu, Isabel, Central, Rennell Bellona

I have also published two lists: the female candidates that I’m aware of and an overview of the 19 political parties contesting the 2010 election.

Another heavily contested election

A record number of 509 candidates will contest the 4 August election, up from the previous record of 453 in 2006. This equates to an average of 10.2 candidates per seat in 2010, up from 9.0 per seat in 2006. There will also be a record number of political parties – at least 19, and up from the 16 or so that contested in 2006.

Different reports suggest that the number of female candidates is around 22 to 25, similar to the 26 in 2006 (but well above the numbers in earlier elections, see my earlier post on women in Solomons politics). In 2006, the largest number of female candidates (10) came from Malaita (now only 3); this time, there are at least 6 from Western (up from just 1). There are 3 female candidates in Guadalcanal whilst Isabel (3) and Honiara (4) remain well-contested by women.

There are likely to be fewer incumbents returned because three incumbents have retired from parliament (David Sitai, Rev Leslie Boseto and Laurie Chan) and the seat of East ‘Are ‘Are is vacant following the recent death of late Edward Huni’ehu. (Technically, Savo/Russells has also been vacant since a court ruling in early 2010 invalidated the 2009 by-election.) Silas Milikada has vacated the seat of East Honiara in order to challenge Snyder Rini in Marovo.

Interestingly, at least seven former MEF members or spokespeople are contesting seats in Malaita, several of whom have now been released from jail following Tension-related crimes. They are: Jimmy ‘Rasta’ Lusibaea, Leslie Kwaiga, James Kili, Simon Mani, Manasseh Maelanga, Alex Bartlett and Andrew Nori. It would be interesting to know if any former IFM/GRA members are contesting Guale seats – I’m not aware of any but that’s hardly conclusive.

A change in the political landscape?

Behind these record numbers in 2010, there is a bigger story, which is that the two most recent elections – 2006 and 2010 – mark a clear break with the political past. Both elections have been much more heavily contested than the six previous ones, both in terms of number of candidates and number of parties. Between 1980 and 2001, the average number of candidates per seat always remained between 6.0 and 6.8, substantially below the 2006 and 2010 levels. Similarly, the number of parties in recent elections is far higher than the 10 or less that contested in earlier elections.

What are the implications of this shift to more heavily contested elections? I can think of three.

First, in a first-past-the-post system, more heavily-contested elections mean that candidates will typically win with a smaller fraction of the vote (and probably with smaller margins). Indeed, in 2006, half of all the successful candidates won with less than 30% of the vote. In past elections, this fraction was more like one-third. I imagine that a low winning vote and a small victory margin might have some impact on the perceived legitimacy of an MP’s win, and might also increase the pressure on him/her to focus attention on the immediate needs of the constituency, rather than on national policy and legislation.

Second, parties are often used as vehicles for prime ministerial ambitions, so more parties may lead to more candidates for prime minister (both within rival camps and, to a lesser extent, on the floor of parliament). My recollection is that in April 2006, at least five MPs (including Tausinga and Sogavare) nominated to be the PM candidate for the IBS camp and I’m pretty sure that there were at least one or two candidates who contested Rini in the Honiara Hotel camp.

Finally, more parties may mean that that governments are increasingly formed through large coalitions with numerous parties, rather than with a small number of parties and numerous independents. This seems to have been the experience of the Eighth Parliament: the GCCG-Sogavare government had five coalition members (SoCred, Democratic, SIPRA, National, Liberal) and the CNURA-Sikua government had six (PAP, AIM, Liberal, SIPRA, Democratic and National). Such large coalitions are not unprecedented (both the SIAC-Ulufa’alu government and the NCP-Billy Hilly government were of a similar size) but perhaps they will become more common.

Why has this shift occurred? I can only speculate, but we can look for possible explanations in what has changed between 2001 and 2006. Most obviously, RAMSI arrived, the Tensions ended and to a large extent, law and order was restored. Perhaps the awful experience of the Tensions has made people more interested in the importance of good government. Or perhaps improved law and order has simply made it safer for people to contest election (at least compared to 2001)?

Another change since 2001 is the increase in the size of the RCDF and related payments such as the Micro-Project Fund and the Millennium Fund, which potentially make being an MP much more lucrative. Perhaps the change is partly due to economic factors – until the global financial crisis, the Solomons economy had been performing very well.

Perhaps more candidates feel they can afford the significant costs of running an election campaign (and perhaps some businesses have more interest in financing the election campaigns of supportive candidates or parties).

Finally, and less optimistically, perhaps the increased number of candidates is an indicator that there is greater dissatisfaction with incumbent MPs and with the performance of government. I’m not sure whether any of these explanations is plausible, and no doubt there are others that readers may think of.

Where are the heavy contests?

Three provinces – Western, Makira and Temotu – will be much more heavily contested in 2010.

In Western Province, three high-profile MPs will face stiff competition: Gordon Darcy Lilo is one of 14 contestants in Gizo/Kolombangara and both Snyder Rini and Peter Boyers are amongst 12 contestants in Marovo and West New Georgia/Vona Vona, respectively. Interestingly, all three were very publicly sacked in April by PM Derek Sikua following the failure of the political parties integrity bill.

All four Makira seats face between 14 to 16 contestants, making Makira the most heavily contested province in 2010. The biggest increase has occurred in East Makira (from 9 to 14 candidates), the seat vacated by retiring MP, David Sitai. However, the member for Central Makira, Bernard Ghiro, is also facing a much tougher battle – he has 15 challengers.

Temotu was one of the least-contested provinces in 2006, with 22 candidates for its three seats. However, the number has leapt to 40, making it one of the most heavily contested provinces in the country. This is largely due to Temotu Vatud, currently held by Clay Soalaoi Forau, which has the second highest number of candidates in the country – 19, up from just 8. Martin Magga is also facing more competition in Temotu Pele (13, up from 6), perhaps due to concerns about his health.  By contrast, veteran MP Patteson Oti once again faces 7 challengers in Temotu Nende.

Elsewhere, there are some tough contests in Honiara, Malaita, Guadalcanal and Choiseul.

As usual, Honiara will be vigorously contested (41 candidates for three seats). This time, Central Honiara (currently held by Nelson Ne’e) stands out with 23 candidates, the highest of any seat in the country. By contrast, East Honiara, which had 26 candidates in a recent by-election and 20 candidates in 2006, now has 12. The winner of that fierce by-election, Silas Milikada, is now contesting the seat of Marovo, leaving the field open for, amongst others, former MPs Charles Dausabea and Simeon Bouro. In West Honiara, incumbent MP Isaac Inoke faces only five other challengers.

In Malaita, three seats will be particularly tough. In West Kwara’ae, Sam Iduri will once again face 17 other candidates. The incumbent for Small Malaita, William Haomae, is one of 15 candidates including former CBSI governor, Rick Hou, and former MP, businessman and MEF leader, Alex Bartlett. Finally, in Baegu/Asifola, there are 14 hopefuls, up from just 6 in 2006. This may be due in part to reports that the incumbent, Toswell Kaua, is in ill-health.

In Guadalcanal, the increased number of candidates in a couple of seats perhaps reflects dissatisfaction with the performance of Martin Sopaghe (North Guadalcanal, previously 8 candidates, there are now 13) and Siriako Usa (North West Guadalcanal, 14 candidates, up from 10).

Finally, 13 contestants will vie for South Choiseul, the seat vacated by retiring MP, Rev Leslie Boseto.

Easier contests

There are 11 seats with 6 or fewer contestants. Presumably prospective candidates have decided that it is not worth their while to contest these seats because the incumbent will be hard to defeat and, perhaps, because there is a general view in the electorate that the incumbent is doing a good job. On that somewhat precarious basis, I predict that most of the following incumbents will be re-elected:

• Job Tausinga (SIPRA): North New Georgia (3 candidates)
• Manasseh Sogavare (OUR party): East Choiseul (4 candidates)
• Stanley Sofu (SIDP): East Kwaio (4 candidates)
• Francis Billy Hilly (Nasnol Pati): Ranonnga/Simbo (5 candidates)
• Dr Derek Sikua (Liberal): North East Guadalcanal (6 candidates)
• Matthew Wale (SIDP): Aoke/Langa Langa (6 candidates)
• Trevor Olavae (Rural & Urban Political Party): South Vella La Vella (6 candidates)
• Milner Tozaka (Liberal): North Vella La Vella (6 candidates)
• Isaac Inoke (OUR party): West Honiara (6 candidates)
• Allan Kemakeza (PAP): Savo and Russells (6 candidates)
• Clement Kengava (PAP): North West Choiseul (6 candidates)

Table: number of candidates by province

Source: Solomon Islands Electoral Commission

Technical note: number of candidates

My tally of candidates by province is slightly different from that given in the Electoral Commission’s spreasheet. I have one more in Temotu Vatud, one less in Hograno/Kia/Havulei, two less in South Guadalcanal, one more in North Guadalcanal and one more in Savo/Russells. The total is the same, however, at 509.

Note (26/07/2010): In my original post, I mistakenly stated that Clay Forau is the outgoing MP for Temotu Pele and Martin Magga was the MP for Temotu Vatud. In fact, the reverse is true. I have corrected the error, with thanks to a friendly commenter for drawing it to my attention.

There are at least 19 parties that I’m aware of contesting the 2010 election, which is almost certainly a record. In a 2006 article, political analyst Sam Alasia (who is also a candidate in this election), reported that 16 parties contested the 2006 elections, up from 10 and 9 in the previous two elections (Alasia 2006, “Rainbows across the mountains: the first post-RAMSI general election, p.122).

Of the 19 parties, 12 have been established in the last six months. As with previous elections, it seems likely that several will not achieve any parliamentary representation and will dissolve shortly after August 4. In some cases, it seems that parties are established to promote a single candidacy, or to give extra profile to a small number of candidates.

Possible Prime Ministerial candidates

The main purpose of several of the larger parties seems to be to give profile to potential prime ministerial candidates, and also to help those candidates build a solid bloc of votes to help in the negotiations following an election. Several parties have already flagged their intentions to seek to lead the next government. Here is my list of possible prime ministerial candidates, assuming that they first win election to parliament:

• Manasseh Sogavare (OUR Party)
• Fred Fono (People’s Congress Party)
• Danny Philip (Rural Development Party, RDP-SI)
• Gordon Darcy Lilo (SI Party for Rural Advancement, SIPRA)
• Possibly Matthew Wale or Steve Abana from the Democratic Party (SIDP)
• Possibly Allan Kemakeza from the People’s Alliance Party (PAP)

Political Parties – the list

1. People’s Alliance Party (PAP), est. 1979, led by James Mekab (president) and Allan Kemakeza (party spokesperson)
2. Association of Independent Members (AIM), est. c.2001, Snyder Rini, Tommy Chan (president)
3. Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) party, founded in 2010 by former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare with 7-8 other outgoing MPs
4. Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), est. 2006, led by Matthew Wale and Steve Abana
5. Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA), est. 2006, led by Gordon Darcy Lilo and Job Dudley Tausinga
6. Reform and Democratic Party of Solomon Islands (RDP-SI), founded in 2010 by former MP and minister Danny Philip
7. Liberal Party, est. 1988, led by Dr Derek Sikua, or possibly Richard Ulufa’alu (leadership in dispute)
8. Nasnol Pati, est. c.1997, led by Francis Billy Hilly
9. Solomon Islands People’s Congress Party, founded in 2010 by outgoing Deputy PM, Fred Fono.
10. Rural and Urban Political Party (RUPP), co-founded in 2010 by outgoing MPs Samuel Manetoali (party president) and Trevor Olavae
11. People’s Federation
    Party (PFP), founded in 2010 by former foreign affairs officer Rudolf Henry Dorah (secretary general) and outgoing MP Clay Forau Soalaoi (chair)
12. Solomon Islands United Party (SIUP), now led by interim president Joel Konofilia
13. Direct Development Party, founded in 2010 by former SICHE Director, Dick Ha’amori, and journalist and former MP, Alfred Sasako
14. New Nations Solomon Islands Party (NNSIP), founded in 2010 by businessman Belani Tekulu
15. Rural Congress People’s Party, founded in 2010 by Rev. Milton Talasasa
16. Autonomous Solomon Islanders Party (ASIP), co-founded in 2010 by former politicians Jackson Sunaone and Denis Lulei
17. Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party (TP4), founded in 2010 by Delmah Nori (interim president)
18. People’s Power Action Party, founded in 2010 by Robert Wales Feratelia, former Honiara Lord Mayor
19. Christian Progressive Party (CPP)

Details on each party are set out below …

1. People’s Alliance Party (PAP)

The People’s Alliance Party (PAP) is Solomons’ oldest surviving party. It was formed in 1979 through the merger of the Rural Alliance Party (RAP, led by David Kausimae, 1977-79) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP, led by Solomon Mamaloni, 1973-79). The PAP has been part of at least six governments and it led three of those: 1981-84 (Mamaloni), 1989-90 (Mamaloni), 1993-94 (Billy Hilly), 200001 (Sogavare), 2001-06 (Kemakeza) and 2007-10 (Sikua). The current President of the PAP is James Mekab whilst Allan Kemakeza is the party spokesperson. Other outgoing parliamentary members include Augustine Taneko, Clement Kengava and Johnson Koli (a fourth member, Fred Fono, has now established the People’s Congress Party).

During the campaign, the PAP announced that they would reduce the number of Ministries and slash the public sector payroll by 20% over four years in order to pay for decentralisation and rural development. Sir Allan said PAP plans to formulate nine provincial Development Councils through which the Rural Constituency Development Funding will be channeled (Solomon Star, 28 June). The Councils would comprise National MPs from the province, members of the Provincial Executive and representatives of chiefs, women and youth groups (Solomon Star, 12 May, Island Sun, 29 April, Solomon Times, 29 April, OneTV, 27 April)

2. Association of Independent Members of Parliament (AIM)

AIM was established in the early 2000s by businessman, owner of Honiara Hotel and former MP, Tommy Chan (president). It was the junior coalition partner in the Kemakeza government (2001-06), was the major party in the illfated Rini government whose establishment preceded the April 2006 riots and was a member of the CNURA coalition (2007-10). Snyder Rini is AIM’s parliamentary leader and outgoing MP Seth Gukuna is also a member. Late Edward Huni’ehu was also a member, along with retiring MP Laurie Chan. A large number of other MPs have been associated with AIM.

3. Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party

Co-founded by former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and 7-8 other MPs from the previous Grand Coalition for Change Government (GCCG). This is at least the third party founded by Mr Sogavare following the People’s Progressive Party (established prior to the 2001 election) and the Social Credit (SoCred) Party (established prior to the 2006 election). Other founding MPs include: Patteson Oti, Bernard Ghiro, Japhet Waipora, Peter Shanel, Isaac Inoke and Francis Zama.

OUR party has run an unprecedented election campaign, conducting launches in most if not all provinces. This has been accompanied by a slew of policy announcements. They have frequently committed to decentralize economic development and reintroduce the ‘bottom-up development strategy’ previously pursued by the GCCG-Sogavare government. The party has expressed concern about the influence of aid donors and the Regional Assistance Mission (RNZI, 14 June).  However, Mr Sogavare also said that accusations that his party is anti-aid donor and anti-RAMSI are misconceptions of its genuine concerns about aid money and the intervention mission (Solomon Times, 14 June; Solomon Star, 15 June). See further summaries of OUR party policies in earlier posts in March and June.

OUR party has 37 candidates and strong representation in most provinces, with 7 in the eastern provinces (Temotu and Makira), 7 in Guadalcanal and 9 in Malaita. It is less well-represented in Western province, with 4 candidates, including one –Queensland Olega – who is also claimed by the RDP-SI. The full list is available at Derick Manu’ari’s blog

4. Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP)

The Solomon Islands Democratic Party was established in 2006 by accountant Matthew Wale and lawyers Gabriel Suri and John Keniapisia (secretary general). Its original MPs included Sam Iduri, Stanley Sofu and David Dei Pacha but it expanded in government and its candidates now include 10 incumbents. The others are: Steve Abana, Peter Tom, Daniel Enele Kwanairara, Manasseh Maelanga, Severino Nuaiasi, Walter Folotalu and Matthew Wale.

Party leader Abana launched the SIDP campaign by promoting its record as a member of the CNURA-Sikua government. In particular, he took credit for pushing the Political Party Reform Bill, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and proposals for an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). He also took responsibility for the downfall of the GCCG-Sogavare government (Solomon Star, 8 June). Other policy announcements include a commitments to: improve health care (Solomon Star, 5 July), improve communications through further deregulation and an undersea cable (Solomon Star, 5 July), introduce legislation that would remove control of RCDF from MPs (Solomon Star, 9 June), change the Gaming and Lotteries Act to reduce the social harm caused by casinos (RNZI, 23 June),

The SIDP has very strong Malaitan representation. It published a list of 21 candidates, and of these, 12 are from Malaita. There are no SIDP candidates in Western Province and just 2 in Guadalcanal.  The full list is available at Derick Manu’ari’s blog.

5. Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA)

SIPRA was established in 2006 by Gordon Darcy Lilo and Job Dudley Tausinga (president). Outgoing parliamentary members include: Samuel Manetoali, Toswell Kaua and Patrick Vahoe. Tausinga launched its campaign on 17 June and announced that the party believed in development from the bottom upwards. He also stated that his party knows the risk associated with trade imbalances that have continued to mark the economic position of the country. (Solomon Times, 17 June)

SIPRA published a list of 22 candidates, although I think only 20 have actually nominated for the election. Its strongest representation is in Western Province (5). It also has 4 in Guadalcanal, 4 in the eastern provinces (Temotu and Makira) but only 3 in Malaita. The full list is available at Derick Manu’ari’s blog.

6. Reform and Democratic Party of Solomon Islands (RDP-SI)

The RDP-SI was founded in April 2010 by former MP and Minister, Danny Philip. Philip has already had a long political career. He served four terms for South New Georgia/Rendova/Tetepari from 1984 until 2001, putting him amongst the longest-serving MPs since independence. During his tenure in parliament, he held a number of senior positions including: Minister for Forests and Natural Resources (c.1998, Alebua government), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (c.1989-90, Mamaloni government), Deputy Prime Minister (c.1994-96, Mamaloni government) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (2000-01, Sogavare government). He was still a formidable candidate in the 2006 election, where he ran a close second to Francis Zama (40% to 38%).

The RDP-SI has strong Western and Eastern representation. It published a list of 31 candidates, although I think only 28 have actually nominated for the election and of these, 7 are from Western Province and 7 are from the eastern provinces (Makira and Temotu). There are 5 contestants from Guadalcanal but only 3 from Malaita. The full list is available at Derick Manu’ari’s blog.

7. Liberal Party

The Liberal Party was founded by the late Bart Ulufa’alu in 1988 after he split with his fellow unionist, Joses Tuhanuku. Current members of the Liberal Party include outgoing Prime Minister Derek Sikua and outgoing Ministers Japhet Waipora and Milner Tozaka. The party’s General Secretary is businessman and former MP, Yukio (Y.) Sato.

In June, a strange dispute emerged for control of the party. On 10 June, Ulufa’alu’s son, Richard Ulufa’alu, rejected claims that Sikua was the party’s leader. He claimed that, in fact, the party had been re-launched in May and a new executive had been appointed, with him as leader and president. Thus, it appears that there are effectively two parties fighting over which has the right to the name of the Liberal Party. Further details, with interviews with both Ulufa’alu and Y. Sato, are available a OneTV report from 21 June. Earlier in June, Ulufa’alu stated that that he would challenge Matthew Wale in his father’s former seat of Aoke Langa Langa. His ambition is to promote his father’s ‘Bottom Up Approach’ to development.

8. Nasnol Pati

The Nasnol Pati (or National Party) of Solomon Islands was established in 1990s. It claimed five members in the outgoing parliament however Oti is now a member of OUR party and Boseto has retired. The remainder are Francis Billy Hilly, Martin Magga and Nollen Leni.

9. Solomon Islands People’s Congress Party

The People’s Congress Party was founded in April 2010 by outgoing Deputy PM and Minister for Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs, Fred Fono. Fono stated that ‘the focus of that party is to make reforms in the constituency development funding’. Specifically, his plan is to introduce legislation so that RCDF funds are administered by local constituency congresses, not MPs. (See reports from Radio Australia and Solomon Times.) Party launch (OneTV, 21 June)

10. Solomon Islands United Party (SIUP)

The United Party is one of the country’s eldest. It was established by Peter Kenilorea in 1980, on the eve of the national election 30 years ago. It was the leading party in government in 1980-81 (Kenilorea), 1984-86 (Kenilorea) and 1986-89 (Alebua). It was also a coalition partner in the 1993-94 Billy Hilly government. My impression is that it has remained active since then (eg, by fielding candidates in each subsequent election) and it may have been a coalition partner in later governments. Nonetheless, its influence has certainly waned in recent elections, to the extent that it had no candidates elected in 2006 (and possibly none in 2001 either).

The party seems to have taken a new turn at this election. It held its Honiara launch in late June, during which the interim president, Joel Konofilia, proposed that nine Ministries be abolished and replaced with dedicated ministries for each of the provinces. (Island Sun, 28 June(a)) At the same time, Konofilia also committed to restrictions on land ownership by foreigners, with particular reference to Asians. (Island Sun, 28 June(b)).  At a subsequent launch in North Malaita, Konofilia stated that Solomons had been under a curse for the last 32 years because it had ‘voted against Israel’ and made an apology on behalf of the United Party for its past role in this (Solomon Star, 12 July).

11. Rural and Urban Political Party

The Rural and Urban Political Party was launched in June 2010 by outgoing Lands Minister, Samuel Manetoali (party president), and outgoing MP for South Vella La Vella, Trevor Olavae. The party aims to promote rural development through the creation of ‘economic growth centres’ that are equipped with roads, airfields, wharves, storage facilities, utilities and a review of taxation arrangements (Solomon Times, 14 June, see also Island Sun, 9 June).

12. People’s Federation Party (PFP)

The People’s Federation Party was founded in March 2010 by former foreign affairs officer Rudolf Henry Dorah (secretary general). The party chair is Clay Forau Soalaoi, the outgoing MP for Temotu Vatud and caretaker Health Minister.

The motto of the People’s Federaration Party is ‘trade not aid’. It says that it wants to address five ‘crises’ facing Solomons management of ongoing land disputes in poor rural areas, political corruption, an inadequate banking sector, the threat of climate change and ‘a leadership crisis’ (Australia Network News, 9 April, Solomon Star, 12/03/10, SolomonTimes, 6 April, OneTV, 5 April)

13. Direct Development Party

The Direct Development Party was launched in May 2010 by Dick Ha’amori (former SICHE Director) and Alfred Sasako (veteran journalist, former Minister and MP for East Kwaio, 1997-2006). Earlier in May, Ha’amori was dismissed as Director by the SICHE Council following allegations of incompetence and poor performance. (Ha’amori rejected the allegations.) Ha’amori contested the seat of West Makira in 2006, achieving 7.7% of the vote.

At its launch, the party announced its plans to turn SICHE into a university. The party also committed to assist workers in the informal sector to make voluntary contributions to NPF but was subsequently criticised by NPF CEO and General Manager, Tony Makabo, who said that the statements that failed to understand that informal sector workers are already entitled to make such contributions.

14. New Nations Solomon Islands Party (NNSIP)

The New Nations Solomon Islands Party was launched in May 2010 by businessman, Belani Tekulu. Tekulu and his wife Dalcy have worked as cocoa exporters and owners of Red Mansion Comfort Inn. He was also head of the Solomon Islands Indigenous Business Association around 2005-06 (and may still be).

According to reports, its priorities included law and order, anti-corruption, infrastructure, land, education and health (OneTV, and Solomon Star, 25 May and Island Sun, 25 May).

15. Autonomous Solomon Islanders Party

The Autonomous Solomon Islanders Party was founded in January 2010 (Solomon Star, 25 January, and 6 February, Island Sun, 20 April). According to various reports, the party’s leadership group includes three former politicians (Jackson Sunaone, Denis Lulei and Basil Manelegua), a former premier of Makira Province (Steven Piringisau) and two others – Elijah Owa and Robert Haikiu. Sunaone was briefly the member for West Makira in 2000-01. He was elected at a by-election following the death of his brother, and former Prime Minister, Solomon Mamaloni.  Lulei is an Isabel Chief and served three terms of parliament, as member for West Isabel (1980-89) and then for Maringe-Kokota (1993-97). Basil Manelegua is a former member for Gao-Bugotu (2001-06) and minister in the Kemakeza government.

In a letter to the Solomon Star (11 February), the party’s Public Relations Officer Robert Haikiu explained the party’s position on resource allocation (all resources provided by donors and government, including RCDF etc, must be farreaching) and governance (there is too much red tape involved in the procedures, systems, policies and laws used to govern and administer services in Solomon Islands).

16. People’s Power Action Party

The People’s Power Action Party was founded in early 2010 by Robert Wales Feratelia (Solomon Star, 12 February, OneTV, 11 February). Feratelia was previously Honiara Lord Mayor and president of the SI Planned Parenthood Association. He unsuccessfully contested the seat of East Honiara in the 2006 election, coming 11th out of 20 candidates with 2.2% of the vote. He was previously the subject of charges (later dropped) relating to the April riots in 2006 but he has denied any involvement in the burning and looting of Chinatown.

The party says it stands for people in the informal sector, the underprivileged and the oppressed and warned that the upcoming election is going to be a great battle between ‘foreign elements’ and Solomon Islands. The party has announced plans to establish a ‘Micro-finance Bank for Solomon Islands’ because ‘currently the banking sector has placed a stigma on the poor, excluding their access to banking resources’ (Solomon Star, 11/02/10). In an interview with OneTV (21 May), Feratelia indicated that his party would support Sogavare in a vote for Prime Minister.

17. Rural Congress People’s Party

The Rural Congress People’s Party was founded in April 2010 by Rev. Milton Talasasa. The party’s launch was held in Vona Vona, Western Province. Talasasa is a member of the Uniting Church and was previously a church human resource officer (Solomon Star, 16 April). In May 2008, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a Masters degree (his second); his thesis focused on the history of the Methodist Mission in Solomon Islands (Nusa Zonga Light, Vol 1, Issue 6, Jan-Jun 2008).

18. Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party (TP4)

The Twelve Pillars to Peace and Prosperity Party (TP4) was founded in May 2010 by Delma Nori (interim president). (See Solomon Star, 31 May and RNZI, 2 June.) It has been billed as a women’s political party and its main objective is to promote greater representation in Parliament of women and women’s issues (including employment, food security, family and climate change). However, membership is not restricted to women only. The Twelve Pillars are: 1. a strong economy, 2. fair education with gender balance, 3. state security, 4. healthy living, 5. environment and full security infrastructure, 6. a strong finance, 7. good governance, 8. lands, 9. business and foreign investors, 10. work and employment, 11. family and 12. religion (see interview with Nori on Radio Australia, 8 June). Nori also says that the party wants to cut the size of government and decentralise funding so rural areas will have better services.

Nori contested the seat of Central Honiara in the 2006 election, coming 5th out of 13 candidates with 8.3% of the vote. Nori’s husband is the former MP, Minister and MEF spokesperson, Andrew Nori. He was member for West ‘Are ‘Are from 1985-97 and is currently an active member and likely candidate for the PAP.

Note: Nori had previously announced that her party would be called the Peace, Oneness and Prosperity Party (Solomon Times, 20 January)

19. Christian Progressive Party

The Christian Progressive Party was founded in June 2010. According to a report in the Island Sun, 16 June, the CPP is committed to Christian moral values. The party’s platform reportedly includes a focus on land development, increased trade and investment, sustainable development and poverty alleviation, improved food production systems and a stronger tourism sector.

The tables below provide some statistics on the Western seats in recent elections. Below that is a list of the candidates in each constituency (source: Electoral Commission, published on the TARD blogsite and in Excel on the Tutuvatu site). I’ve also included any information I’ve been able to find about the candidates’ party affiliations, previous electoral performance, work experience and qualifications. (Note: I will keep updating this post until the election, so comments and corrections are particularly welcome.)

Table 1: Election statistics, Western province

Table 2: Candidates per constituency, Western province

Ranongga/Simbo

1. Francis Billy Hilly (Nasnol Party)*: outgoing Finance Minister and MP (1976-84, 1993-2010), former PM (1993-94), won in 2006 with 33.4% of the vote
2. Steven Suti Agalo
3. Elizabeth Tamugula Pearson
4. Belani Tekulu (leader, New Nations SI Party, NNSIP): businessman, cocoa exporter, owner of Red Mansion Comfort Inn
5. Charles Sigoto (RDP-SI)

West New Georgia and Vona Vona

1. Joseph Douglas: currently facing one count of corruption relating to his former role as adviser to the Western Provincial administration (Solomon Star, 23 July), brother of fellow candidates Nuatali Tongarutu (North New Georgia) and Nairie Alamu (South New Georgia/Rendova/Tetepari)
2. Peter James Boyers*: outgoing MP (2001-10), former Finance Minister (2005-06, Dec 2007), won in 2006 with 34.7% of the vote, sacked as head of ICSI at the same time as five ministers were sacked by PM Sikua in April following the failure of the political parties integrity bill
3. Billy Veo
4. Pat Loe
5. Rev Milton Talasasa (leader, Rural Congress People’s Party): Masters in History (University of Auckland, 2008), former human resource officer for the Uniting Church
6. Silas Kerry Vaqara Tausinga (SIPRA)
7. Akuila Talasasa
8. Wilson Gina: came last out of 7 in 2006 with 1.6% of the vote
9. Rev. Robertson Balo
10. Nelson Boso (RDP-SI)
11. Selina Zima Boso: PFNet supervisor (March 2009), Director, Department of Provincial Government and Constituency Development (2006)
12. Gloria Sisiopere: town clerk (Noro Town Council), her campaign launch on 1 July emphasised rural livelihoods, transparency in use of RCDF and honesty in leadership, wife of fellow candidate Milton Sibisopere (South Vella La Vella)

Shortlands

1. Ronnie KIDOE
2. Augustine TANEKO*: outgoing MP (2001-10), won in 2006 with 33.3% of the vote
3. Steve LAORE: came last out of 7 in 2006 with 4.8% of the vote
4. Albert Bakel LAORE: came 2^nd in 2006 with 19.1% of the vote
5. Derick PAKO
6. Queensland OLEGA (claimed by both OUR party and RDP-SI): came 4^th out of 7 in 2006 with 11.1% of the vote
7. Ninamo OTUANA

North Vella La Vella

1. Pye Robert KUVE (RDP-SI): came 4^th out of 6 in 2006 with 12.2%
2. Milner TOZAKA*: outgoing Minister for Public Service and MP (2006-10), former diplomat and High Commissioner to Australia, won in 2006 with 26.7% of vote (the winning margin was just two votes), husband of fellow candidate Jane Tozaka (Hograno/Kia/Havulei)
3. Alistair Pore Bangara PAEKERA
4. Gwen Abana JITUKALO
5. Maleli ZALAO
6. Casper DORAUVO

South Vella La Vella

1. Trevor OLAVAE*: outgoing MP (2001-2010), won in 2006 with 57.5% of the vote
2. Roland MAE
3. Jenning MOVOBULE
4. Kelly LEVI
5. Lional ALEX
6. Milton B SIBISOPERE: general manager, Soltai, husband of fellow candidate Gloria Sibisopere (West New George and Vona Vona)

Gizo/Kolombangara

1. Mark KALE
2. Kenneth Bule HITE (OUR party)
3. Gordon Darcy LILO (SIPRA): outgoing MP (1997-2010), former Minister of Finance (2006-07) and Minister for the Environment (2008-09), , one of five ministers sacked by PM Sikua in April following the failure of the political parties integrity bill, won in 2006 with 46.1% of the vote
4. Ernest Kenji SATO
5. Kimoe TOMA
6. Warren Paia ALEBULE: came 6^th out of 7 in West New Georgia/Vona Vona in 2006 (at the time, Paia was an active member of the Nasnol Party)
7. Ian Roni GINA
8. George TATAIO
9. Reuben Laity LILO: former Premier, Western Province (mid-2000s), came 3^rd in Ranongga/Simbo with 22.5% of the vote
10. Robin MESEPITU: came 2^nd in South Vella La Vella in 2006 with 32.1% of the vote
11. Jackson PIASI: former MP (1989-2001), came 4^th in 2006 with 10.4% of the vote
12. Daniel KENNEDY (People’s Congress Party): businessman, owner of Dive Gizo, former member and Minister in the Western Provincial Assembly
13. Mockson AARON (RDP-SI)
14. Ishmelly Kevu: (Note: Kelly’s name was omitted from the final list of candidates published by the SI Electoral Commission. The Commission subsequently issued a public correction and apology, 20/07/10).

North New Georgia

1. Job Dudley TAUSINGA (SIPRA): the longest-serving MP since independence (along with retiring MP, David Sitai), Tausinga was first elected to parliament in 1984 and is now running for his 7^th consecutive term in office, he was uncontested in 2006
2. Dewin ALICK
3. Nautali TONGARUTU: private lawyer, former acting Attorney General during the GCCG-Sogavare administration, sister of fellow candidates Nairie Alamu (South New Georgia/Rendova/Tetepari) and Joseph Douglas (West New Georgia – Vona Vona), came 5^th out of 7 in West New Georgia/Vona Vona in 2006 with 6.8% of the vote

South New Georgia/Rendova/Tetepari

1. Elijah R HOE
2. Francis John ZAMA*: outgoing MP (2001-10), former Finance Minister (2003-05, Nov 2007), won in 2006 with 40.5% of the vote
3. Danny PHILIP (leader, RDP-SI): former MP (1984-2001), came 2^nd in 2006 with 38.1% of the vote, Minister for Forests (c.1998, Alebua government), Deputy PM (c.1989-90, Mamaloni government), Deputy PM (c.1994-96, Mamaloni government) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (2000-01, Sogavare government)
4. Doreen LINGA: communications officer, WWF
5. Aberi TAMANA
6. Simba PAZA
7. Nairie ALAMU (SIPRA): permanent secretary, Ministry of Communication and Aviation, sister of fellow candidates Nuatali Tongarutu (North New Georgia) and Joseph Douglas (West New Georgia – Vona Vona)
8. David Lani GINA

Marovo

1. Hellen Saera HILLI (People’s Congress Party)
2. Atabani TAHU
3. Edward TOKURU
4. Undikolo PELOBULE
5. Rev Philemon RITI (RDP-SI): former general secretary, Solomon Islands Christian Association, nominated as a candidate for Governor General in 2009, interviewed on Radio Australia, 25/03/10
6. Snyder RINI*: outgoing MP (1997-2010), former PM (April 2006) and Finance Minister (2008-10, 2002-03), won in 2006 with 28.7% of the vote, one of five ministers sacked by PM Sikua in April following the failure of the political parties integrity bill
7. Denton Dina BENNIE
8. Eric HIVAE
9. Ivan Keroko NGAI (OUR party)
10. Reuben LORE: came 4^th out of 7 in 2006 with 8.7% of the vote
11. Spama Runialo SIALO (SIPRA): came 6^th out of 7 with 5.0% of the vote
12. Silas Millar MILIKADA: logger and businessman, outgoing MP for East Honiara (2008-10), won the East Honiara by-election held on 25/10/08 that was contested by 26 candidates (Milikada received twice the vote of his nearest rival)

The tables below provide some statistics on the Guadalcanal seats in recent elections. Below that is a list of the candidates in each constituency (source: Electoral Commission, published in Excel on the Tutuvatu site and the TARD blogsite). I’ve also included any information I’ve been able to find about the candidates’ party affiliations, previous electoral performance, work experience and qualifications. (Note: I will keep updating this post until the election, so comments and corrections are particularly welcome.)

Table 1: Election statistics, Guadalcanal province

Table 2: Candidates per constituency, Guadalcanal province

South Guadalcanal

There are 12 candidates, compared to 13 in 2006, 4 in 2001 and 2 in 1993.

1. Betty Lirma GIGISI
2. Ron Lawson MEKE
3. Andrew Donia MUAKI
4. Francis Peter PARA
5. Victor TOTU: former MP (c.2003-06), originally elected to parliament in a by-election, came 5^th in 2006 with 8.2% of the vote
6. Jack Israel BANA (SIPRA)
7. David Day PACHA (SIDP)*: outgoing MP (2006-10), won in 2006 with 21.2% of the vote
8. Charles AIWOSUGA (RDP-SI)
9. Josiah KARICHI: came 4^th in 2006 with 9.8% of the vote
10. Konald Kalea SALA
11. Martin TSUKI
12. Allastair TEAVA

East Guadalcanal

There are 11 candidates, compared to 6 in 2006, 4 in 2001 and 6 in 1993.

1. Bradley TOVOSIA: former Deputy Premier, Guadalcanal Province
2. Dr John HUE (SIPRA)
3. Johnson KOLI*: outgoing MP (1997-2010), won in 2006 with 36.2% of the vote
4. Joe Tuti Ruriti UIAMANU
5. Samson TAHUNIARA (OUR party)
6. Henry PECHAKIBO
7. Joseph HIKUTA’A: came 4^th in 2006 with 15.2% of the vote
8. Kennedy HODA
9. Ezekiel ALEBUA: former Deputy PM (1984-86) and then PM (1986-89), former Premier, Guadalcanal Province (late 1990s-early 2000s), former MP (1980-97); in July 2007, Alebua was convicted and sentenced to 3.5 years on two counts of embezzlement relating to the misuse of US$27,000 in 2001, whilst he Premier (Solomon Times, RNZI, both 5/07/07)
10. Benedict TOVA: came 3^rd in 2006 with 17.5% of the vote

East Central Guadalcanal

There are 11 candidates, compared to 9 in 2006, 6 in 2001 and 5 in 1993.

1. Gordon TAPALIA: came 2^nd in 2006 with 18.8% of the vote
2. Abel ARAMBOLA (RDP-SI): former Premier, Guadalcanal Premier (mid-2000s)
3. Joseph ONIKA (OUR party)
4. Nathaniel MARA: came 5^th out of 9 with 6.9% of the vote
5. Nollen C LENI*: outgoing MP (2001-10), won in 2006 with 23.2% of the vote, one of five ministers sacked by PM Sikua in April following the failure of the political parties integrity bill
6. Eric THOGOLE
7. Kamilo Kevin GAOMA
8. Mark GATU
9. Molia GEMALI
10. Rueben TOVUTOVU (SIPRA)
11. Job Maneka GESENI

North East Guadalcanal

There are 6 candidates, compared to 10 in 2006, 6 in 2001 and 12 in 1993.

1. Ishmael Robert LEUAPE (OUR party): came 2^nd in 2006 with 11.6% of the vote
2. Derek SIKUA (Liberal)*: outgoing PM and MP (2006-10), won in 2006 with 35.6% of the vote
3. Alfred Mane-ngelea LOVANITILA (RDP-SI)
4. Fairall WILFRED
5. Brally Jim TAVALIA
6. Henry SAEA

North Guadalcanal

There are 13 candidates, compared to 8 in 2006, 6 in 2001 and 5 in 1993.

1. Martin SOPAGE*: outgoing MP (2006-10), won in 2006 with 28.0% of the vote
2. Daniel Vedar BUTO
3. Benedict GARIMAE (RDP-SI)
4. David KUAN
5. Samson MANEKA: came 5^th out of 8 in 2006 with 13.9% of the vote
6. Stephen PAENI: former MP (North-East Guadalcanal, 2001-06; North Guadalcanal, 1984-89), came 3^rd in NE Guadalcanal in 2006 with 11.4% of the vote
7. Harry BARNABAS
8. Edmond SONITAVEA
9. John ROSIVAENA
10. Alfred MAEKE
11. Greenta Vienna TOME (OUR party)
12. Andrew KUVU
13. Hendrick QOUTALA: (Note: Qoutala is included on the SIEC list but not separately enumerated, so only 12 candidates are recorded for North Guadalcanal.)

Central Guadalcanal

There are 2 candidates, compared to 7 in 2006, 5 in 2001 and 4 in 1993. There were 3 candidates for the by-election held on 6 May 2009.

1. Peter Shannel AGOVAKA (OUR party): outgoing MP (2006-08, 2009-10), forfeited his seat following a six-month jail sentence for stabbing a young man during an argument but won back the seat with 58.8% of the vote in the subsequent by-election, won in 2006 with 31.7% of the vote
2. Walton NAEZON: former Minister and MP (1997-2006), came 2^nd in 2006 with 27.2% of the vote, also came 2^nd with 36.4% of the vote in the 2009 by-election

North West Guadalcanal

There are 14 candidates, compared to 10 in 2006, 7 in 2001 and 10 in 1993.

1. Charles Brown BEU
2. John QUAN
3. Craig Apusae PELU
4. Joseph Pali NIELSEN: came 2^nd in 2006 with 22.7% of the vote
5. Joseph Solomon ANEA (OUR party): former CEO, Solomon Airlines, came 5^th in West Guadalcanal in 2006 with 10.0% of the vote
6. Horst Heinz Bobo DETTKE: local businessman involved in the logging industry & owner of ITA Hardware, reportedly a backer of Sogavare’s camp based in Pacific Casino hotel during the selection of PM after the 2006 election (see Allen 2008, p.43, Kabutalauka 2008, p.108 and Fraenkel 2008, p.173), also reportedly involved in the controversial and seemingly ill-fated National Alliance Party (Solomon Times, 08/10/08 and 28/10/08).
7. George KAVOA
8. Hilda Padavera KI’I (RDP-SI): lecturer, Distance Education Unit, SICHE (since 2001); resource person for Guadalcanal Province Leaders Summit 2005; co-author (with several others) of “Raetemaot: creative writing from Solomon Islands” (1996)
9. Solomon LOVE
10. Siriako USA*: outgoing MP (2001-10), former Minister for Lands (2001-06) and Mines (2006-07), recently the subject of a Court Order to disclose his expenditure of constituency funds (Solomon Star, 3/05/10), won in 2006 with 29.1% of the vote
11. Michael Ben WALAHOULA
12. Francis Mocho Belande SADE
13. Stephen LABU
14. Charles Keku CHIVILI: shortly before election day, a warrant was issued for Keku’s arrest in relation to charges of illegal interference with SIWA works and illegal diversion of water (Solomon Star, 3/08/10)

West Guadalcanal

There are 11 candidates, compared to 8 in 2006, 6 in 2001 and 5 in 1993. Outgoing MP, Laurie Chan (2001-10), is not re-contesting the seat.

1. Anthony Kamutulka VEKE (OUR party)
2. Joshua BULOLO
3. Moses GARU (SIDP): former Guadalcanal DBSI Branch Manager
4. David ROSALIO
5. Peter S HAEO
6. Silas Divine Gift LAUVISU
7. Obediah GADI
8. Pascal K BELAMATAGU: came 3^rd in 2006 with 14.5% of the vote
9. George W MANGALE (SIPRA)
10. Samson TETEHA
11. Edme ZIOKERA