THURSDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2017

Solomon Islands new Prime Minister, Hon. Rick Hou.

Hon. Rick Houenipwela was elected on Wednesday the 15th of November 2017 as the new Prime Minister for Solomon Islands.

Hon. Rick Hou who is the Member for Small Malaita Constituency won by 33 votes while the other candidate, Hon. John Moffat Fugui, Member of the Central Honiara Constituency got 16 votes. One ballot is described as spoilt.

Hon. Rick Hou was first elected to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands for Small Malaita Constituency on 4 August 2010 and was re-elected to the same Constituency on 19th November 2014.

He is a Member of the Democratic Alliance Party and was Chairman of Public Accounts Committee from 23 December 2014 - to date.

The Prime Minister elect was Minister of Finance and Treasury from 21 November 2011 to 8th September 2014 and Minister of Public Service from 18 April 2011 to 10 November 2011.

Hon. Rick Hou holds a Bachelor of Accounting, Diploma of Commerce and Graduate Diploma Dev. Administration.

His occupation before entering Parliament was:

• Senior Advisor, Executive Director, World Bank and
• Governor to Central Bank of Solomon Islands

The 59 year old is from Riverside village of Small Malaita, Malaita Province.

Meanwhile the other candidate, Hon. John Moffat Fugui is of the United Democratic Party and was elected to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands for Central Honiara Constituency on 4 August 2010.

He was re-elected to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands for Central Honiara Constituency on 19 November 2014 and was elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament on 17 December 2014 to 28th October 2015.

Hon. Fugui was Chairman- of Special Select Committee on the Short Bus Routes in Honiara -25th April to 8th August 2013.

He then held the following portfolios:

• Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology from 27 August 2010 to 11 November 2011
• Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology from 21 November 2011 to 18 October 2012
• Minister for Education and Human Resources Development from 28th October 2015 to 4th August 2017 and was
• Minister for Public Service from 4th August 2017 to 28th October 2017

Hon. Fugui holds the following qualifications:

• Ph.D. (abd) Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
• M.A. Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 1998.
• M.A. Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 1994.
• M.A. Department of Political Science, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1988.
• B.A. Department of Political Science, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, 1986.
• PhD Dissertation
  
  “Rethinking State, Development, and Democratization in Solomon Islands.”
  Chair: Professor Deane Neubauer

He holds the following occupation before entering Parliament:

• Secretary to Government Caucus, Prime Minister’s Office,2008
• Secretary to the Leader of Opposition, 2006 – 2007.
• Political Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office, 2001 – 2006
• Part-time Tutor, University of the South Pacific - Honiara Center, “Democracy and Democratization,” Summer 2001.
• Member of the Hiring Committee and the Admission Committee in the Political Science Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1996-1997.
• Teaching Assistant to Professor Geoffrey White and Tisha Hickson, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, summer, 1997.
• Parliament Researcher. Carry out research and investigate the possibility of a Research Unit in the National Parliament of Solomon Islands, Honiara, 1995.
• History/Political Tutor at the University of the South Pacific Center, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 1995.
• Part-time Tutor for the Sixth and Seventh Form students at the King George Sixth School, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 1995.
• Senior Policy Analyst and Political and Constitutional Adviser in the Policy Evaluation Unit, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Responsible for drawing up of the Program of Action (POA) of the government and evaluation of the performance of the different Ministries per POA. Also responsible for political and constitutional issues; setting up of Parliamentary Standing Committees; review of Parliamentary Standing Orders; repatriation of the National Constitution; Ministry of Police and Justice; Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development; reviewing of the Provincial Government system; negotiating Aid Assistance from various aid donors including the IMF and the Work Bank, 1989 – early 1992.
• Advisor and Consultant to the Alliance Party Think Tank for purposes of drawing up policies, campaign strategies, directions and reviewing of the Alliance Party Constitution, 1988-1990.
• Bank Teller, Commonwealth Bank of Solomon Islands, 1979.

The 56 year old is of Fourau village, Malaita Province.

Meanwhile, Acting Governor General, Hon. Ajilon Jasper Nasiu who conducted the elections announced the results to the public at the Parliament Eastern Entrance straight after counting was done in the chamber.

The election is conducted in secret ballot by all 50 Members of Parliament and was presided over by the Acting Governor General, Hon. Ajilon Jasper Nasiu, who is also Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands assisted by Secretary to Governor General, Clerk and officers of National Parliament Office.

The Prime Minister elect was sworn in at the Government House at 2pm the same day, a couple of hours after the election at the National parliament chamber.

Parliament will resume tomorrow Thursday the 16th of November 2017 at 9:30am after the special adjournment Parliament had on Monday 6th November 2017.

However, it is highly likely Parliament will have another special to allow the new PM to sort his new Ministers.