Honiara, May 2 -- Foreign minister Jeremiah Manele was elected as the Solomon Islands' new prime minister by members of parliament on Thursday, Governor General of the Solomon Islands David Vunagi announced.
Manele defeated opposition leader Matthew Wale in a 31-to-18 vote in the newly elected 50-seat parliament, Vunagi said following a secret ballot on Thursday morning.
One member of parliament did not participate in the vote because she could not arrive in Honiara in time due to a long distance to the capital, a source from the governing Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party (OUR Party) told Xinhua.
Manele will take over the office from Manasseh Sogavare, who announced on Monday his withdrawal from running for a new term.
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