Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss?

Commentary The recent election results in the Solomon Islands carry mixed messages for Australia, the United States, and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region. The most obvious positive is that pro-Beijing Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare is no leader of the Pacific nation. A polarising figure, both domestically and abroad, the former prime minister announced that he would not seek a further term. His party, OUR, secured just 15 of the 50 seats in the national parliament. It also gained four more seats as part of a coalition with two micro-parties. However, the new leader of OUR, Jeremiah Manele secured 31 votes—in a separate vote—to defeat the main opposition party’s leader, Matthew Wale, for the prime ministership of the Solomons....