by Georgina Maka’a
After weeks of speculation, it’s now confirmed that Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele will face a no-confidence vote in the current sitting of parliament.
Notice of the motion, which will be moved by Central Honiara MP Gordon Darcy Lilo, has been filed in parliament this afternoon.
“Lilo is moving the no-confidence motion for a number of reasons,” a spokesman for the Central Honiara MP told In-depth Solomons, tonight.
“First, it is abundantly clear Manele is not in control of his ministers,” the spokesman said.
“The second reason is the worsening state of the economy,” the spokesman added.
“You will note that the economy is getting worse and worse by the day, and Manele is doing very little or nothing to address the problem.
“The prime minister was also unable to rein in on the duty exemptions that his government has been giving away to its business cronies.
“Then of late was the exposure by In-depth Solomons (investigative news outlet) of the President of OUR Party Jimson Tanangada’s setting up of an off-shore business in Singapore.
“Along with this current government’s bad handling of the Rennell island mining that resulted in the substantial loss of revenue to both the state and landowners, it’s now clear Manele is incapable of leading this country,” the spokesman said.
The no-confidence motion comes just eight months into Manele’s leadership, and a day after Finance minister Manasseh Sogavare tabled the $5.152 billion 2025 budget.
A seasoned diplomat, Manele entered parliament in 2014 after serving in the country in various diplomatic posts overseas. He is currently serving his third term.
Parliament today confirmed receiving the notice of the motion. According to parliamentary standing orders, the motion will sit before parliament for seven clear days before it can be tabled for debate, which may likely happen after December 12.
