THE SOLOMON ISLANDS NATIONAL ELECTION
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NATIONAL OUTLOOK
* Population - 720,000
* Economy - $A2.8 billion annually, primarily natural resources, fishing and cash crops - many people are subsistence farmers or fishers
* Foreign aid and remittance make up more than one-fifth of the budget
PARLIAMENT
* One house, 50 seats
CANDIDATES:
* 334 registered candidates, 49 per cent of whom are independents, with 21 female candidates
REGISTERED VOTERS:
* 360,000 (87 per cent turnout in 2019)
VOTING
* First past the post (also used in UK, US, Canada, India)
* Single constituency
* For the first time, most areas will concurrently vote for local governments
REGISTERED PARTIES/COALITIONS (Leader)
Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare) - 43 candidates
CARE coalition of Solomon Islands Democratic Party and Democratic Alliance Party (Opposition Leader Matthew Wale) - 47 candidates
People's Liberal Democratic Party - 30 candidates
Solomon Islands United Party (son of former PM Peter Kenilorea) - 25 candidates
Iumi for Change (former Malaita premier Daniel Sudiani) - eight candidates
LAST PARLIAMENT:
* Sogavare, elected as an independent, formed a coalition government of 36 MPs and relaunched his Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party
POLLING DAY
* April 17, public holiday
* Non-compulsory voting for Solomon citizens aged 18 and over
* Polls open 7am and close 4pm (6am to 3pm AEST)
* All but a few licensed premises banned from selling alcohol until April 26
RESULTS:
* Updates posted on Electoral Commission website
* Final results could take eight to 10 days in 2024 due to concurrent provincial elections
* Government to be formed and prime minister appointed by coalition of MPs during talks in weeks and months after the election
Sources: Solomon Islands Electoral Commission, IMF, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Solomons Islands government.
This article was made possible through the Melbourne Press Club's Michael Gordon Journalism Fellowship Program.
Australian Associated Press
