Jeremiah Manele

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The Honourable
Jeremiah Manele
Manele in 2020
Prime Minister of Solomon Islands
Assumed office
2 May 2024
Monarch
Governor‑General
DeputyManasseh Maelanga
Preceded byManasseh Sogavare
Leader of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party
Assumed office
29 April 2024
Preceded byManasseh Sogavare
Assumed office
26 April 2019
Personal details
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Political partyOUR Party
Alma materUniversity of Papua New Guinea

Jeremiah Manele (born 1968) is a Solomon Islander politician who was elected by parliament as Prime Minister following the 2024 Solomon Islands general election. He is the first prime minister of the country to come from Isabel Province.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Manele grew up in the village of Samasodu on the island of Santa Isabel.[2] His high school education was begun at an Anglican school, Selwyn Collge, in Guadalcanal, where he later taught; before completing his year 6 at King George VI School in Honiara.[3][4] He studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Public Administration from the University of Papua New Guinea, graduating in 1991[5] He returned to studies briefly in 1995–96, completing post graduate work at the University of Oxford.[5][2]

Public servant[edit]

Manele's civil service experience has been described as "vast" — having held senior Government positions and represented Solomon Islands as a career diplomat.[6][7] In the diplomatic stage of his career, he was appointed to diplomatic postings as Counsellor and later Charge d'Affaires of the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.[6]

Returning to the Solomon Islands, Manele held senior government positions, serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Development Planning, Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.[8][9] He also served as Secretary to the Solomon Islands Government-RAMSI Intervention Taskforce.[8] He was the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in Solomon Islands until December 2007.[citation needed]

Politics[edit]

Then Foreign Minister, Manele is seen meeting with his counterpart from Chile, at the UN General Assembly in 2023

Manele was first elected to parliament in 2014, representing the division of Hograno-Kia-Havulei.[10] Early in his Parliamentary career, he was the leader of the opposition in the 10th Parliament of Solomon Islands.[11] He later joined government benches, serving as the Minister for Development Planning and Aid Coordination (2017–2018).[6] He was reelected in the 2019 general election and served as the minister for development planning and aid coordination in the 11th Parliament.[11][12] Subsequently, Manele was made Minister of Foreign Affairs on 25 April 2019, travelling widely in the role.[13][14]

In the 2024 Solomon Islands general election, Manele retained his seat under the banner of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party, though he had previously been affiliated with the Democratic Alliance Party.[2][15] The party was unable to form an outright majority, and could not form a working coalition under its existing leader, Manasseh Sogavare.[16] Following the election, OUR Party renewed alliances with the Kadere and People First parties, forming the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation.[17] Manele became OUR Party leader on 29 April, after Sogavare stepped down from role and declined to seek another term as prime minister.[18] In a secret parliamentary ballot for prime minister on 2 May, Manele earned 31 votes, defeating Matthew Wale. That day, he was invited to form a government by Governor-General David Vunagi, and was sworn in as the prime minister.[19][20]

He is described as China-friendly as he has pledged to continue the Solomon Islands' international policy that drew it closer to China.[21] At the time of becoming Prime Minister, Western analysts, such as Meg Keen at the Lowy Institute, assessed that Manele would be a “less fiery and combative leader for the West to manage but he will continue to pursue close relations with China”.[22]

Personal life[edit]

Together with his wife Joycelyn, Manele has four daughters and two sons.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Baratheon, Robert (2 May 2024). "Jeremiah Manele Elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands". OnlineWiki. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "New, but capable". Solomon Star News. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Hon Jeremiah Manele | National Parliament of Solomon Islands". www.parliament.gov.sb. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Selwyn College unveils Golden Jubilee event". theislandsun.com.sb. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Jeremiah Manele is new Solomon Islands Prime Minister". RNZ. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Address by the Foreign Minister of Solomon Islands » NZIIA – New Zealand Institute of International Affairs". www.nziia.org.nz. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  7. ^ "WTO Trade for Peace" (PDF). November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Asia-Pacific Regional Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Istanbul Programme" (PDF). United Nations. August 2021.
  9. ^ "Contact Information for Solomon Islands". PACREIP. 2006. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  10. ^ "Alphabetical Listing of Members of the 10th Parliament | National Parliament of Solomon Islands". www.parliament.gov.sb. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  11. ^ a b Komai, Makereta, ed. (2 May 2024). "Jeremiah Manele is the new Prime Minister of Solomon Islands | PINA". Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Members of the Current Parliament (11th Parliament) | National Parliament of Solomon Islands". www.parliament.gov.sb. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  13. ^ "FIVE MORE MINISTERS SWORN-IN". Solomon Islands Embassy. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Government House officially commissions H.E Barrett Salato as Ambassador of Solomon Islands to PRC. – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC)". 12 December 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  15. ^ NEWS, KYODO. "China-friendly foreign minister Manele becomes Solomon Islands PM". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Solomon Islands pro-China PM Manasseh Sogavare fails to secure majority". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  17. ^ Hawkins, Koroi (30 April 2024). "Manasseh Sogavare bows out of prime ministerial race in Solomon Islands". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  18. ^ Kusu, Fredrick (29 April 2024). "Coalition for National Unity and Transformation nominates Jeremiah Manele as PM Candidate". Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  19. ^ Hawkins, Koroi (2 May 2024). "Jeremiah Manele is new Solomon Islands Prime Minister". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Jeremiah Manele elected prime minister in Solomon Islands, which is likely to keep close China ties". Washington Post. 2 May 2024. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  21. ^ Needham, Kirsty (2 May 2024). "Solomon Islands picks China-friendly Manele as new prime minister". Reuters. Sydney. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Solomon Islands lawmakers elect former foreign minister as new prime minister". Oxford Mail. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Solomon Islands
2024–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party
2024–present 		Incumbent
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