The Solomon Islands’ High Court has ordered Parliament to sit by Thursday to debate a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, the latest development in a weeks‑long political standoff that escalated after dozens of MPs abandoned the government. The ruling, handed down on Friday, followed a petition to the court by 28 members of Parliament who quit Mr Manele’s administration and asked the judiciary to force a sitting.
Mr Manele had previously refused to convene Parliament despite opposition assertions that they now control a majority of the 50‑member house. The 28 defectors say they have the numbers to topple the government, and their petition to the High Court sought to compel Parliament to meet so the motion could be heard. The court’s order directs Parliament to sit no later than May 7.
In a statement issued after the ruling, Manele confirmed he would comply with the court’s directions. “The Prime Minister looks forward to the Motion of No Confidence being debated on the floor of Parliament when it sits,” the statement said, adding that “the formal grounds for the motion will be presented in Parliament in accordance with parliamentary procedures, allowing for full debate and consideration.”
The prime minister also thanked the public for their “understanding and patience” during the weeks of political developments and acknowledged the support of churches and other groups that offered prayers and encouragement, according to his statement. His comments signal willingness to submit the dispute to Parliament after weeks of legal and political manoeuvring.
The High Court’s intervention represents a significant escalation from private negotiations and public disagreements into a judicially enforced timetable, closing a period in which the government resisted calls to test the opposition’s claimed majority at the bar of the house. With the court deadline now set, attention will turn to the logistics of Parliament reconvening and the precise wording and grounds of the no‑confidence motion, which Mr Manele says will be tabled in line with parliamentary rules.
This order is the latest turn in an unfolding crisis that puts Mr Manele’s future directly before lawmakers. If the motion is debated and carried, it could lead to a change of leadership; if it fails, the government would remain in place but likely face an emboldened opposition. Either outcome will be determined when Parliament meets under the High Court’s timetable.