By Ofani Eremae

After days of intense lobbying and speculation, the Solomon Islands prime ministerial contest has come down to two men – Jeremiah Manele and Matthew Wale.

The pair will be up against each other this Thursday for the country’s top political job.

On paper, Manele, a seasoned diplomat who has secured his Hograno-Kia-Havulei seat in Isabel Province for a third term, has got the numbers to win the contest and become prime minister for the first time.

He’s the candidate the coalition of OUR Party, Kandere Party and People First Party, who have claimed 28 MPs, nominated for the prime minister’s job.

Wale, on the other hand, will have a busy day tomorrow with some last-minute lobbying if he’s going to secure the number he needs to win the contest.

Although he’s now into his fourth full-term as MP for Aoke-Langalanga in Malaita, the prime ministerial job has eluded him all these times.

Having had an excellent run on the campaign trail, Wale looks set to lead the next government with his Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) securing 11 seats in the April 17 polls.

By teaming up with the United Party, Umi for Change Party, and Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement, he got himself set for the challenge.

Problem however, is his coalition was unable to attract any of the 10 candidates who contested and won as independents.

All independent candidates instead made their way to Manele’s group, giving him the advantage ahead of Thursday’s contest.

As Wale and Manele prepare for the big battle, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) has taken an initiative to invite the pair to talk about their policy intentions in a public symposium they are organising tomorrow.

SINU Vice Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau said the event is scheduled to be held at the Kukum Lecture Theatre on the SINU campus.

“As the premier academic institution in the Solomon Islands, SINU is deeply committed to fostering public dialogue and providing a neutral, objective space for the exchange of ideas that stimulate public policy discourse,” Aqorau explained.

“The symposium is designed to offer a platform where political leaders can articulate their vision and policy platforms to the public, aligning with SINU’s mission to facilitate informed discourse,” he added.

“This symposium serves as a crucial forum where potential leaders can engage directly with the electorate, enhancing the democratic process by fostering a more informed electorate.”

Wale and Manele could not be reached tonight to confirm their participation. Aqorau said they are also waiting for confirmation from the two candidates.

“We are hopeful that the nominees will recognise the importance of this platform, not only for their political campaigns but as a crucial step towards transparent and accountable leadership.”

Thursday’s election will take place at the National Parliament.

Police say security will be tight and no members of the public will be allowed around Parliament premises.

Acting Clerk to Parliament Jefferson Hallu explained the election of the Prime Minister is not a parliamentary meeting, although it is conducted on the floor of Parliament. 

He said the Constitution defines it as ‘a meeting of members’.

“It is a private meeting of all the Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect a Prime Minister, as opposed to a parliament sitting which is open to the public. Because it is a private meeting, it is not accessible to the general public,” Hallu added.

Furthermore, he said since it’s a private meeting, the election will be presided over by the Governor General, not the Speaker of Parliament.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) National Security and Operation Support (NSOS) Ian Vaevaso said police will be visible everywhere in town from Henderson in the east to White River in the west.

With incumbent prime minister and OUR Party strongman Manasseh Sogavare out of the race, the battle has come down to Wale and Manele.

It’s a battle the world’s two superpowers – the United States and China – are closely watching with the keenest of interest.