Clerk advises MPs of Parliament meeting on May 7 to ‘consider’ motion of no-confidence against PM Manele

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

Parliament will sit tomorrow, May 7, for the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.

A letter by the Clerk to Parliament Jefferson Hallu, posted on the national parliament Facebook page yesterday, advised members of parliament on the meeting.

“Please be advised that the 1st sitting of the 4th meeting of the 12 Parliament will convene on May 7th, 2026 at 9:30am at the Parliament House, Honiara, purposely to consider the motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister,” the letter, subject ‘PARLIAMENT SITTING – MAY 7 2026’, said.

Mr Hallu has not responded to Island Sun enquiries.

PM Press Secretariat yesterday confirmed to Island Sun that PM Manele had by 12 noon yesterday fulfilled his part as ordered by the Court of Appeal to ensure Parliament meets no later than May 7.

Notably, there was no press statement by the PM Press Secretariat or Government Communication Unit (GCU) announcing the PM having advised the Governor General to call parliament, and likewise the GG convening parliament to sit on May 7 from the PM’s advice.

It is unclear whether the PM advised the Governor General (GG) to call parliament, or directly advised the Speaker to call parliament. Constitutional convention the PM advises the GG, who in turn calls parliament to meet.

Opposition Leader urges Speaker not to tarry

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Matthew Wale yesterday before 12 noon published a letter addressed to Speaker of Parliament Patteson Oti urging him to refrain from using parliament’s standing order 7(2) and further delay parliament from sitting on May 7.

Mr Wale’s letter was a response to his meeting with Speaker Oti on Monday afternoon this week in which the Speaker reportedly made known his intention to apply standing order 7 (2) and delay parliament beyond May 7.

Wale said: “I wish to express my views on the position you wish to take in respect of the recent Court of Appeal judgement and the mandamus order made against the Prime Minister to convene Parliament on or before 7th May 2026.

“I understand correctly, your view is that the order does not apply to you or your office, and therefore you intend to set the date to debate the pending Motion of No Confidence any time after 13 days as stipulated in Standing Order (SO) 7(2) once you received notification to convene Parliament.

“For this reason stated hereunder, I urge you to reconsider your intention,” Wale said.

A writ of mandamus, by definition, is a court order commanding a government official, lower court, or agency to perform a mandatory, non-discretionary public duty they have failed or refused to do.

The Opposition Leader reminded the Speaker that SO 7(2) does not empower him to action his intended plan.

“SO 7(2) is a procedural provision directed to the Clerk’s duty (not yours), to give Members notice once a meeting date exists; it does not confer any power on you to determine when Parliament should meet. The constitutional power to convene Parliament lies exclusively with the Governor-General acting on the Prime Minister’s advice, and the SO cannot alter or qualify that constitutional arrangement,” Wale said.

“Accordingly, SO 7(2) cannot be relied upon as a basis to delay, suspend, or refuse a meeting that has been duly summoned under the Constitution.

“Your role, as Speaker, commences when Parliament is lawfully sitting; it does not extend to controlling or postponing the convening of Parliament. Any question of notice is a matter for the Clerk to administer and, in cases of urgency, for the Governor-General on advice to address.

“It follows that you cannot invoke any powers under SO 7(2) to delay a constitutionally convened meeting of Parliament,” Wale said.

Wale also cautioned the Speaker on his ‘assertion’ that there is no state of emergency to warrant the shortening of notice period.

“In light of the order of the Court of Appeal directing the Prime Minister to ensure that a meeting of Parliament is convened on or before 7 May 2026, SO 7(2) has no bearing on the timing or validity of that meeting.

“Your assertion that there is no state of emergency to warrant the shortening of the notice period is erroneous. The relevant SO does not refer at all to a state of emergency. It merely refers to ‘in cases of emergency’, and the Court found that there is an emergency.

“Accordingly, SO 7(2) cannot be relied upon by you as a basis to delay, suspend, or refuse the meeting required both by the Constitution and by the Court of Appeal’s order.

“You have no authority over the convening of Parliament and cannot interpose procedural notice requirements (for noting MPs of fixed meeting dates) to frustrate compliance with a constitutional summons and a binding court order,” Wale said.

Court of Appeal orders

On May 1 the Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge by the Attorney General to the High Court’s ruling of April 14 ordering the Prime Minister to call parliament.

The Court of Appeal ordered the Prime Minister to take all legal steps to call parliament to meet no later than Thursday, May 7.

The order adds that the Prime Minister must take these steps by 12 noon May 5 (yesterday).

Eight-week political impasse

This week marks the eighth since the political crisis began when the People First Party led the mass walk-out from the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) including 12 government ministers.

This left GNUT with a minority of 22 members of parliament.

Prime Minister Manele refused to cave in to calls by the new majority opposition coalition for him to resign, even after a motion of no-confidence had matured in parliament on March 23.

The Governor General rendered himself a spectator when he announced on March 18 that he did not have the authority to convene parliament. He said this in his response to a petition by the opposition coalition for him to call parliament.

At this time, PM Manele had not announced when he would call parliament to face the motion of no-confidence, saying he would do so at an ‘appropriate’ time. However, media cited his statement in a press conference on February 2 this year that he intended to call parliament in the later part of the second quarter of 2026, either May or June.

The opposition coalition took the matter to the High Court on March 26 seeking judicial review to compel PM Manele to call parliament.

On April 14, the High Court ruled that PM Manele should convene parliament within three days.

On April 15, the Attorney General filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal, the highest court in the land.

On April 16, the Court of Appeal ruled a stay on the High Court order for the prime minister to call parliament within three days.

The Court of Appeal heard the matter from April 22-23. On Friday, May 1, it delivered its ruling.

As of last night, opposition coalition numbers remain at 27, while GNUT with 23.

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[Published on Tuesday, 5 May 2026]

BY RICHARD MENANOPO

The Honiara City Council (HCC) and the Solomon Islands Basketball Federation (SIBF) have renewed their partnership to drive the 2026 High School Basketball Competition, reinforcing their joint commitment to youth sport development in Honiara.

The two bodies formalised the arrangement through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed last Friday, clearing the way for the much-anticipated schools competition to tip off with its opening ceremony on May 10.

Under the agreement, HCC will continue to provide access to its sporting facilities, enabling SIBF to deliver the competition for secondary school teams across the capital.

HCC City Clerk Justus Denni welcomed the continued collaboration, saying the council remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles and youth engagement.

“HCC is pleased to continue this partnership with SIBF. This competition plays an important role in promoting sport, healthy activity, and the development of basketball among our school students,” Denni said.

He added that school-based competitions are vital in shaping young people through discipline, teamwork and positive participation.

SIBF Secretary General Uriel Matanani acknowledged the council’s ongoing support, particularly in providing venues essential for staging the competition.

“We thank HCC for its continued support towards basketball development, especially through access to its facilities,” Matanani said.

He assured that the federation will deliver the competition in line with the agreement and maintain close coordination with the council throughout the season.

Matanani also highlighted the competition’s growing importance within SIBF’s player development structure.

“The High School Basketball Competition is now an integral part of our development pathway. It gives us the opportunity to identify and nurture young talents who can go on to represent Solomon Islands in the future,” he said.

SIBF further recognised the contribution of schools, teachers, coaches, parents and volunteers in sustaining the growth of basketball at the grassroots level.

The 2026 competition is expected to draw participation from schools across Honiara, setting the stage for another competitive and exciting season of youth basketball.

 The High School Basketball Competition has become a key fixture on Honiara’s school sports calendar, serving as a talent identification platform for SIBF while promoting structured competition among young athletes. The partnership between HCC and SIBF has been instrumental in ensuring consistent access to facilities and the successful delivery of the annual program.

Photo credit: Solomon Islands Basketball Federation (SIBF)

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[Published on Tuesday, 5 May 2026]

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

TWENTY youths in Western Province have completed training to become Digital Safety Trainers and ambassadors, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to promote online safety across their communities.

The training is funded by ChildFund Australia through its Swipe Safe Program and co-implemented by Homes of Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) Trust.

Swipe Safe Program Coordinator Helen Ribako told Island Sun that the participants will undergo an intensive five-day training focused on digital safety, including how to effectively deliver awareness programs in schools.

She said the youths will be trained to identify online risks, respond to issues such as cyberbullying, and understand reporting mechanisms and support systems available for victims.

“This is a five-day training where we try to equip youths with relevant knowledge on digital or online safety.

“We understand that digital transformation has reached our homes, and with it comes risks such as online bullying or cyberbullying. This training is designed to address those challenges,” Ribako said

She said the initiative aims to ensure sustainability after the project ends, with trained youths expected to continue advocacy and awareness efforts in their communities.

“These youths will become trainers and facilitators after completing the training.

“They will soon be deployed to schools to conduct awareness and training programs,” Ribako said.

She said the participants were selected through the Western Province Youth Association and the Youth Division of the Western Provincial Government.

Ribako said the geographical challenges of Western Province, noting that its scattered islands make outreach difficult, but training local youths provides an effective solution.

“Western Province is one of the biggest provinces with scattered islands. With the support of the Youth Association and the Youth Division, we identified youths from Gizo, Noro and Munda and trained them to become trainers.

“In doing so, we are confident the delivery of this project will reach many people, especially youths and children in rural communities,” she said.

Ribako acknowledged the Western Provincial Government and the Western Province Youth Association for supporting and embracing the program.

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[Published on Tuesday, 5 May 2026]

BY RODRICK DESURI 

Auki 

The second phase material shipment for West Kwara’ae constituency is expected to arrive sometime next week from Honiara. 

The material shipment is a continuation of the previous shipment, which will be dominated by housing scheme materials and is basically for the recipients who missed out during their first shipment earlier this year. 

According to the office of West Kwara’ae constituency, the loading of materials for the shipment will commence this week. 

It said it will mainly contain housing scheme materials and other project materials. 

“This material shipment is a continuation of phase two, and it will contain the necessary housing scheme materials.

“The loading will start Thursday this week, and the departure time will depend on the loading. Distribution of these materials should be made later when the shipment arrives in Malaita,” the office said. 

The West Kwara’ae Constituency (WKC) office has supported 379 families with necessary building materials for their permanent homes, with the aim to improve the quality of life in the constituency.

The projects were made possible through the constituency’s housing program, and they were funded under the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) development budget for the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) in 2025.

The constituency also extended assistance to market vendors, persons with disabilities, and the elderly in the constituency through small grants under the CDF.

The constituents thank their MP Alfred Tuasulia, for promoting socio-economic improvements and ensuring that the benefits of the CDF directly reach rural communities.

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