Oceania > Solomon Islands > Solomon Islands Government Profile 2011

Solomon Islands: Solomon Islands Government Profile 2011

2010/07/08

Country name

Local long form:

none

Local short form:

Solomon Islands

Government type:

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

Name:

Honiara

Geographic coordinates:

9 26 S, 159 57 E

Time difference:

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Independence:

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution:

7 Jul.1978

Legal system:

English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)

head of government:

Prime Minister Derek SIKUA (since 20 December 2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in a no confidence vote in parliament on 13 December 2007; SIKUA elected on 20 December 2007

Cabinet:

Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament

Elections:

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually elected prime minister by parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30

Judicial branch:

Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders :

Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003

International organization participation:

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Flag description:

divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green

Solomon Islands News

AUSTRALIA: Pacifica Bauxite Identifies Potential High-Grade Bauxite Outcroppings in Solomon Islands
AFGHANISTAN: UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Pacific medical data project gets philanthropic funding boost
AFGHANISTAN: Higher earning Why a university degree is worth more in some countries than others
AFGHANISTAN: Revised IMF forecasts signal gloom on global economic outlook
AFGHANISTAN: Oxfam Study Finds Richest 1% Is Likely to Control Half of Global Wealth by 2016

More >

Trending Articles

by countries
by topic