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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Charley Piringi in Honiara

China critic Matthew Wale elected Solomon Islands prime minister

Matthew Wale in glasses and a suit speaks to media holding phones and recording devices
The newly elected prime minister of Solomon Islands, Matthew Wale, has been a critic of the South Pacific nation’s closeness to China. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

Solomon Islands parliament on Friday elected opposition leader Matthew Wale as prime minister, after incumbent Jeremiah Manele was ousted from power last week in a no-confidence vote, ushering in a change that analysts say will be closely watched by Australia and the US.

Wale defeated Peter Shanel Agovaka by 26 votes to 22 in a ballot of the country’s members of parliament, governor general David Tiva Kapu, told a news conference.

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