Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has assured Australian Pacific Minister Pat Conroy that his attempt to delay the country’s next election will be a “one-off.”
The move comes after experts warned that Sogavare—who has cultivated deep ties with Beijing—could be emboldened to tighten control over the Pacific nation, a key goal of the Chinese Communist Party in the region.
Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the Albanese government welcomes “the assurance from the prime minister and language of the bill that ensures if this is passed, it will be a one-off and its schedule for elections returns to the normal four-year cycle.”…