Politics of the Solomon Islands
Country name:
Data code:
BP
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Honiara
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
English common law
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
characterized by fluid coalitions; Christian Fellowship [leader NA]; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Labor Party or LP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [leader NA]; National Party [leader NA]; Nationalist Front for Progress or NFP [Andrew NORI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [leader NA]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [leader NA]; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and Progressive Party or SINURP [Job Duddley TAUSINGA] (leader of opposition); United Party or UP [leader NA]
International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
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
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Solomon Islands
former:
British Solomon Islands
note:
there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
head of government:
Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27 August 1997); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27 August 1997)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is 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
elections:
last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3