Wale secures seat

Mathew Cooper Wale has secured the Aoke-Langalanga seat for his third term, polling 2,760 votes in a dramatic election victory declared at provincial capital Auki, on Saturday. Returning Officer Charles Kaula announced the results after three days of counting. His runner up is David Faradatolo, who polled 1,966 votes – bringing the winning margin to…

Maelanga scores another landslide

Manasseh Maelanga scored another landslide victory in similar fashion he did in his 2008 and 2010 elections to retain the East Malaita seat. Contesting as an independent, he polled 2,992 well ahead of his runner up Jimson Iakwai who polled just 896, to win by a margin of 2,096 ballots. Other candidates are: Rex Alafa,…

Man of the moment

Tanangada: This is not about me, but the people News of outgoing prime minister Gordon Darcy Lilo’s dramatic election defeat on Thursday night spread like wild fire. Minutes after the election loss was announced at provincial capital Gizo, social media contributors and commentators went on a feast. The man behind this big news was secondary…

Pallaras: Corruption everywhere

An outgoing Solomon Islands high court judge says an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is required in the country more than any other “on the planet”. Justice Stephen Pallaras, a former director of public prosecutions in South Australia and an executive member of an international association against corruption, has served a three-year contract with the…

Candidate fail to resign

A candidate who contested Temotu Pele constituency in last Wednesday’s polls has not officially resigned from his government job before contesting. A senior officer in the Ministry of Rural Development said Drummond Tupe Vaea, who is the Constituency’s Development Officer, has not resigned his job. The officer said it was surprising Vaea’s candidacy has not…

Voters confused over process

Half of registered voters from Nafinua and Kwaiafa polling stations in Malaita have to be assisted when casting their ballots. This was due to confusion over the new process and lack of educational awareness in the area ahead of the polls, voters there said. A Solomon Star reporter at the station last Wednesday witnessed many…

Red Cross gives a hand

Auki Red Cross volunteer staff assisted in the election counting process in Malaita over the past days after polling day on November 19. Team team leader David Oto said almost every province that have Red Cross branch offices are also doing the first aid assistance during the counting process. He said their purpose of being…

Police probe suspicious death

Police in Makira-Ulawa Province are investigating the death of a young man from Ulawa island. The incident was reported as suicide but the provincial police commander Richard Hane said it needs to be investigated.  “We have our officers on the field, who confirmed the incident had happen but the nature of death looked suspicious and…

Tome secures full term

Former Baegu-Asifola MP in Malaita, David Tome, has secured the seat for his first full term in parliament. Tome first won the seat in 2012 in a by-election following the death of Toswell Kaua, who claimed the seat in the 2010 elections. His victory in last Wednesday’s polls means he has a full term of…