The Right Honourable Peter Shannel Agovaka | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Agovaka in 2025 | |
| Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services | |
| In office 23 December 2014 – 24 November 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Preceded by | Chris Laore |
| Succeeded by | Moses Garu |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Jeremiah Manele |
| Preceded by | Jeremiah Manele |
| In office 27 August 2010 – 9 February 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Danny Philip Gordon Darcy Lilo |
| Preceded by | William Haomae |
| Succeeded by | Clay Forau Soalaoi |
| Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment | |
| In office 9 August 2006 – 21 December 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Minister for Provincial Government and Constituency Development | |
| In office 21 April 2006 – 4 May 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Snyder Rini |
| Leader of the Independent Members | |
| In office January 2008 – 25 September 2008 | |
| Member of Parliament forCentral Guadalcanal | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Walton Naezon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-11-01)1 November 1959 (age 66) Bemuta Village, Guadalcanal Province |
| Party | Association of Independent Members, thenOwnership, Unity and Responsibility Party(until 2014), then none |
Peter Shannel Agovaka (born 1 November 1959[1]) is aSolomon Islands politician.
He studied at Telecom College inPapua New Guinea, then at theNorth Sydney Institute of Engineering inAustralia, before working as a Community Affairs Officer for Gold Ridge Mining Limited in Solomon Islands.[1]
His career in national politics began when he was elected toParliament as the member forCentral Guadalcanal in theApril 2006 general election. He was appointed Minister for Provincial Government and Constituency Development inSnyder Rini's government, but lost his Cabinet position when Rini resigned before amotion of no confidence in Parliament in May. In August, however, the new prime minister,Manasseh Sogavare, appointed him Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment, a position he held until the Sogavare government was overthrown by a motion of no confidence in December 2007. UnderDerek Sikua's ensuing premiership, Agovaka was, for a time,Leader of the Independent Members of Parliament, from January to September 2008.[1]
In 2008, he was convicted and gaoled for nine months for assault and possession of an illegal weapon, and lost his seat in Parliament.[2]
He resumed his seat in Parliament in theAugust 2010 general election, as a member of the newly formedOwnership, Unity and Responsibility Party, and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations in Prime MinisterDanny Philip'sCabinet.[1][3] WhenGordon Darcy Lilo replaced Philip as prime minister in November 2011, Agovaka retained his position in government.[4] He was, however, sacked on 9 February 2012, after having, during a meeting withRussian Foreign Affairs MinisterSergei Lavrov in Fiji, "discussed the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations" between the two countries. Lilo wrote publicly to Shannel and told him he had breached "collective Cabinet responsibility": "As a developing country Solomon Islands should continue to strengthen our ties with traditional partners before pursuing new diplomatic groupings".[5]
On 23 December 2014, followinga general election, Agovaka was appointed Minister for Police by new prime ministerManasseh Sogavare.[2]
Agovaka has also served on a number of parliamentary committees, and chaired the Constitution Review Committee from July 2009.[1]
He was reappointed as foreign minister inJeremiah Manele's cabinet in May 2024.[6]