HONIARA — Opposition MP Peter Kenilorea warned on Thursday that the Solomon Islands is facing a “constitutional impasse” after Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele lost the parliamentary numbers that secured his election, and opposition MPs say a motion of no confidence is ready to be tested on the floor of Parliament.
Kenilorea reminded the public that Manele was elected on 2 May 2024 with what he described as an “absolute majority” — 31 votes in the 13th Parliament under schedule 2 of the National Constitution. He said that since then allegiances have shifted, and last month 19 MPs affiliated with the governing GNUT coalition formally withdrew their support. That realignment, Kenilorea says, has left GNUT with 22 MPs while a new coalition now counts 28.
“The PM has effectively lost the support he once commanded,” Kenilorea said in a statement on Thursday, urging Parliament to confirm the change. He said a motion of no confidence “was filed and has now matured and is ripe and ready to be tabled, debated and voted on,” but accused the government of using delaying tactics to avoid that test. “We all know the real place to test these numbers is on the floor of Parliament,” he added.
Kenilorea levelled serious allegations against GNUT, saying the governing group had sought to regain support through offers of ministerial portfolios and even cash, “even in writing, to MPs in the group of 28.” He also alleged provincial-level pressure on MPs to return to GNUT’s fold but said those efforts have so far failed. “It has now been five weeks, and yet the new coalition to which I belong remain 28 strong,” he said.
The opposition’s warning raises core questions about parliamentary legitimacy and the functioning of representative government. “We are now in a constitutional impasse with GNUT now governing by minority, an affront to the representative government system that is enshrined in the constitution of Solomon Islands,” Kenilorea said, arguing that continued delay risks eroding the government’s mandate and public confidence.
Parliamentary procedure requires that shifts in majority be tested by a vote if a no-confidence motion is filed; Kenilorea insists the test must occur without further delay. He described the current Parliament as “defunct” until majority rule is restored and called on lawmakers to allow the democratic process to resolve the dispute. He did not, in his statement, set a specific date for when the motion would be tabled.
The developments mark the latest escalation in a prolonged realignment of parliamentary coalitions since Manele’s election last year. The opposition’s public declaration and the allegations of inducements to MPs are likely to intensify scrutiny on the prime minister’s office and on parliamentary officials responsible for scheduling business. No response from Prime Minister Manele or GNUT leaders was included in the opposition release; it is not clear whether GNUT will move to block the motion or whether a vote will be allowed in the coming days.
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