BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
A total of 334 candidates have filed their nominations to contest the 50 parliamentary seats in the upcoming Solomon Islands National Election. The high number of candidates reflects the growing interest and engagement in the country’s political landscape.
Speaking during the SIEC Talkback Show on SIBC Sunday, March 17, the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner Jasper Highwood Anisi confirmed his office has received 334 nominated candidates.
“A total of 334 candidates will be contesting the national parliamentary elections, of which 21 are female candidates are contesting for the parliamentary seats at this year’s national general election,’’ he said.
He said there are 224 political party candidates and 120 independent candidates.
Mr. Anisi also provided statistics on the number of political parties and candidates contesting the election, both as political parties and as independent candidates.
“For this national election, there is an increased number of political candidates compared to the previous election, where we had a small number of political party candidates and a large number of independent candidates.
- National Transformation Party: 3 candidates
- Solomon Islands Democratic Party: 37 candidates
- Solomon Islands People’s First Party: 7 candidates
- Democratic Alliance Party: 10 candidates
- People’s Alliance Party: 15 candidates
- Solomon Islands Kandere Party: 21 candidates
- IUMI 4 Change Party 8 candidates
- Solomon Islands Progressive Action Party 1 candidates
- People’s Liberal Democratic Party: 30 candidates
- Green Party of Solomon Islands: 2 candidates
- Solomon Islands United Party: 25 candidates
- Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement: 17 candidates
- Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party): 43 candidates.”
In the meantime, he said there are 913 candidates for the provincial assembly and Honiara City Council (HCC) elections, and they are still working on the final breakdown.
