The Solomon Islands voted in a parliamentary election on Wednesday, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022 and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.
A leading contender to become the Solomon Islands' next prime minister has vowed to rip up a security pact with China, as the Pacific nation began counting votes Thursday in a pivotal general election.
The Solomon Islands holds a national election on Wednesday, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with China that prompted concern from the United States and South Pacific neighbours.
Vote counting was under way Thursday in the South Pacific's Solomon Islands, a contest keenly watched from afar as China's efforts to stamp its mark on the region are tested.
Solomon Islanders began voting Wednesday in an election that could reshape regional security, with citizens effectively choosing if their Pacific nation will deepen ties with China.Solomon Islands' elections are peculiar in that voters do not choose their prime minister.
Geopolitics looms large over the polls in Solomon Islands, where Beijing has been vying for influence with Washington and its allies for years But for voters struggling to make ends meet, issues much closer to home like healthcare,
China’s push for influence over the Pacific hangs in the balance after a chaotic election in the Solomon Islands, where counting has been delayed after ballot boxes were lost at sea and incorrect forms were handed to some voters.
A leading contender to become the Solomon Islands' next prime minister has vowed to "abolish" a security pact with China, as the Pacific nation begins counting votes Thursday in a pivotal general election.