PRIME MINISTER Jeremiah Manele has reportedly agreed to shelve a proposed reshuffle of Cabinet ministers following a meeting with Minister Lency Jamie Vokia in Honiara on Tuesday.
Hon Vokia MP – the Kadere Party Parliamentary Wing Leader and Minister for Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration – was falsely accused of taking an unauthorised trip to Vietnam where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) based on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act 2025, which Parliament passed on the 26th of May.
Hon Vokia vehemently denied the accusations.
The MOU, described as a cross-cutting approach to foreign investment, is non-binding and still subject to a full review by Cabinet.
In their meeting, the Minister , according to Party members knowledgeable about the issues, explained that “As Minister for MCILI, he acted fully within the constitutional authority and consistent with 10+ validated precedents
The SIG Group MOU is:
1. EXPLORATORY: Explicitly non-binding, with all executory terms requiring future Cabinet approval.
2. OPERATIONAL: Advances MCILI’s mandate under the SEZ Act 2025 and PM’s directive to ‘fast-track SEZs.’
3. PRECEDENT-ALIGNED: Mirrors MOUs signed without Cabinet approval by MRD (JAAS/SINOMACH), Fisheries, Education, and MCILI itself (SICCI Pact 2020).
4. CONSTITUTIONAL: Ministers hold executive powers for portfolio administration (Constitution ).
“Both men agreed the proposed reshuffle has no connection with the trip. The reshuffle was going to take place soon after the second unsuccessful attempt to oust the GNUT coalition.
“They concluded that doing it now would only add fuel to two unrelated matters.
“As a result, the Prime Minister accepted the reasoning that the reshuffle should be put on hold because of timing as well as its implications on political stability.
“It was also agreed that Minister Vokia would remain in his portfolio, while senior party officials in the coalition consider other matters to strengthen GNUT as the ruling coalition,” one Kadere Party senior official told Solomon Star yesterday.
“It was a good decision because now is the time to focus our attention on encouraging viable foreign investment,” the official said.
