Solomon Islands to Get New Prime Minister as Pro-China Leader Exits Race

Manasseh Sogavare, the prime minister of the Solomon Islands, has quit the race to lead the next government.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 22, 2023. Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images

The pro-China prime minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, has withdrawn from the race to lead the next government following a decision by opposition parties to form a coalition aimed at taking power.

Mr. Sogavare’s ruling Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party, also known as the OUR Party, won 15 parliamentary seats in the April 17 elections, less than the 26-seat majority needed to form a government. The opposition CARE coalition—which consists of the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), UMI 4 Change, and the Democratic Alliance Party—picked up 13 seats.