Jeremiah Manele | |
|---|---|
 Manele in 2022 | |
| Prime Minister of Solomon Islands | |
| Assumed office 2 May 2024 | |
| Monarch | |
| Governors-General | |
| Deputy | Bradley Tovosia |
| Preceded by | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Leader ofOUR Party | |
| Assumed office 29 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 April 2019 – 2 May 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Preceded by | Milner Tozaka |
| Succeeded by | Peter Shannel Agovaka |
| |
| Assumed office December 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1968 (age 56–57) |
| Political party | OUR Party (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Alliance Party (until 2019) |
| Alma mater | University of Papua New Guinea |
Jeremiah Manele (born 1968) is a Solomonese politician and the currentprime minister of Solomon Islands since 2024. He is the first prime minister of the country to come fromIsabel Province.[1]
Manele grew up in the village of Samasodu on the island ofSanta Isabel.[2] His high school education began at aGuadalcanal Anglican school, Selwyn College (where he later taught), before completing his year 6 at King George VI School inHoniara.[3][4] He studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Public Administration at theUniversity of Papua New Guinea, graduating in 1991.[5] He returned to studies briefly in 1995–96, completing post graduate work at theUniversity of Oxford.[5][2]
In the start of his career, Manele represented theSolomon Islands as a career diplomat.[6][7] He was appointed to diplomatic postings as Counsellor and later Charge d'Affaires of the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission to theUnited Nations in New York.[6][8]
Afterwards, he held senior government positions, serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Development Planning, Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.[9][10] He also served as Secretary to the Solomon Islands Government-RAMSI Intervention Taskforce.[9]
Manele was first elected to parliament in 2014, representing the division of Hograno-Kia-Havulei.[11] Following the election, the Solomon Islands People's Democratic Coalition, made up of theDemocratic Alliance, theSolomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement (SIPRA) and thePeople First Party, nominated Manele for prime minister.[12] Manele was defeated in the 9 December parliamentary vote by Manasseh Sogavare, earning 19 votes to Sogavare's 31.[13] Early in his Parliamentary career, he was the leader of the opposition in the10th Parliament of Solomon Islands.[14] He later joined government benches, serving as the Minister for Development Planning and Aid Coordination (2017–2018).[6] He was re-elected in the2019 general election and served as the minister for development planning and aid coordination in the 11th Parliament.[14][15] Subsequently, Manele was made minister of foreign affairs on 25 April 2019, travelling widely in the role.[16][17] Later that year, he travelled to Beijing to formalise relations between the Solomon Islands and thePeople's Republic of China.[18] In this role, Manele signed a security pact with China on 30 March 2022, though at the time, the details of the pact were not publicly known.[19]
In the2024 Solomon Islands general election, Manele retained his seat under the banner of theOwnership, Unity and Responsibility Party, though he had previously been affiliated with theDemocratic Alliance Party.[2][20] The party was unable to form an outright majority, and could not form a working coalition under its existing leader,Manasseh Sogavare.[21] Following the election, OUR Party renewed alliances with the Kadere and People First parties, forming the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation.[22] Manele became OUR Party leader on 29 April, after Sogavare stepped down from role and declined to seek another term as prime minister.[23] In a secret parliamentary ballot for prime minister on 2 May, Manele won 31 votes, defeatingMatthew Wale. That day, he was invited to form a government by Governor-GeneralDavid Vunagi, and was sworn in as the prime minister.[24][25]
He is described as China-friendly as he has pledged to continue theSolomon Islands' international policy that drew it closer to China.[26] At the time of becoming prime minister, Western analysts, such as Meg Keen at theLowy Institute, assessed that Manele would be a "less fiery and combative leader for the West to manage but he will continue to pursue close relations with China".[27][28] Manele's cabinet was sworn in on three different ceremonies, with the first 11 assuming office on 4 May.[29] Manele appointedBradley Tovosia deputy prime minister while Sogavare became finance minister.[30][31]
In December 2024,Central Honiara MP and former Prime MinisterGordon Darcy Lilo introduced amotion of no confidence. Lilo later withdrew the motion due to a lack of support.[32]
On 28 April 2025, Lilo introduced a second no confidence motion. The motion follows political instability, including the resignation announcement of Deputy Prime MinisterBradley Tovosia and reports of cabinet ministers defecting to the opposition. The motion is expected to be moved inParliament around 6 May.[33]
Together with his wife Joycelyn, Manele has four daughters and two sons.[2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 2019–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Solomon Islands 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of theOwnership, Unity and Responsibility Party 2024–present | Incumbent |