PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has denied reports of an alleged new Cabinet line-up that circulated in the media last week.
The reported list claimed that a new internal Cabinet arrangement had been quietly decided without any official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to the circulated list, Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Guadalcanal Peter Shanel Agovaka was named as the new Deputy Prime Minister while retaining his Foreign Affairs and External Trade portfolio.
Ministers reportedly unaffected by the alleged changes included Derick Manuari’i, Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification; Bradley Tovosia, Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources; and Jimson Tanangada, Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services.
Sources told Solomon Star that speculation had also focused on who would take up the Ministry of Finance and Treasury portfolio, describing it as a “contagious issue”.
However, Prime Minister Manele told reporters during a press conference on Sunday that he was not aware of the reported list.
“That list did not come from me. I’m not aware of that list,” he said.
“But I know, of course, it is out there in the media.”
Mr Manele stressed that stability and continuity within the government remain critical as the country approaches important national milestones.
“We only have as a government less than two years left, and there is a lot ahead of us that we would like to do,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the country is preparing for major events in the coming years, including the 50th anniversary of independence and the country’s expected graduation from the Least Developed Countries category in 2028.
“It’s a very important period. We have our independence celebrations, but it will also be an election year,” he said.
“So I would like to stress that stability in government and continuity is important.
“I’m not aware of that list. But, of course, there are always political undercurrents going on in government. We cannot deny that. We will continue to monitor those.”
