PM cuts short Palau trip after Maelanga files no-confidence motion; ministers reportedly resign as GREAT Government faces internal revolt within its three-month-old coalition
by Georgina Maka’a
Prime Minister Matthew Wale is cutting short his Pacific Islands Forum trip and returning home to address the political revolt within his coalition, Government insiders told In-depth Solomons.
He left Palau today via Brisbane, and is due back in Honiara tomorrow.
Wale, who arrived in Palau only yesterday for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, was originally scheduled to remain there until next weekend.
His sudden return followed Home Affairs Minister Manasseh Maelanga’s filing of a motion of no confidence against him in Parliament yesterday.
Wale and two ministers traveling with him have told Tavuli News on arrival at Koror International airport that they knew nothing about the motion.
The notice was formally received by Clerk to Parliament Jefferson Halu on August 29 and accuses Wale of repeatedly making decisions on matters of national importance without proper consultation with, or approval from, Cabinet.
It says such decisions have undermined collective Cabinet responsibility, representative democracy and good governance.
The motion is now subject to the required seven-day notice period.
Halu said the notice will lapse on September 6, after which it can be moved when Parliament resumes on September 7.
If accepted and listed on the Order Paper, it will take precedence over other Government business.
Sources close to the Government told In-depth Solomons that the notice came as a surprise to Wale, a long-time Opposition leader and one of the country’s most experienced politicians..
His sudden decision to return to Honiara underscores the seriousness of the situation.
Two senior ministers accompanying him in Palau – Foreign Affairs Minister Rick Hou and National Planning Minister Peter Kenilorea Jnr – are expected to remain there to complete Solomon Islands’ handover of the PIF chairmanship to Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.
Wale is due to formally hand over the regional chairmanship during the Forum summit, which runs from August 31 to September 4.
But his attention is now firmly back on Honiara.
Government sources have also told In-depth Solomons that at least three ministers, including Maelanga, have tendered their resignations. Government House had not publicly confirmed those resignations at the time of publication.
Members of the GREAT Coalition are also expected to meet in Cabinet this afternoon to discuss the unfolding crisis, according to sources.
The no-confidence move follows weeks of rumours .
Meanwhile, the Island Sun Newspaper has reported that Government and Opposition MPs had been holding secret meetings in recent weeks as they discussed a possible change of government.
The newspaper reported that a meeting involving Government and Opposition MPs took place at Henderson on Friday night, shortly before the no-confidence notice was filed.
The paper also reported claims that some MPs were unhappy with the Wale Government’s decision to pursue investigations into several major controversies, including the 2023 Pacific Games spending, the missing 33 bauxite shipments and the Economic Stimulus Package.
Those claims have not been independently established by In-depth Solomons.
Wale has made accountability and reform central to his Government’s agenda, while investigations into major public spending and alleged irregularities have increasingly become politically sensitive.
The Government is also facing pressure over its handling of the Mineral Resources Bill 2025, with Parliament’s Bills and Legislation Committee recently writing to Wale asking for the Bill to be withdrawn after concerns were raised over amendments and inadequate consultation.
