Two former Solomon Islands prime ministers have put their hats in the ring for upcoming by-elections.
The withdrawal period for candidates for the Central Honiara and North East Guadalcanal constituencies closed on Friday locking in the field.
For North East Guadalcanal there are four candidates three men and a woman.
One of the men is former prime minister Derek Sikua who lost the seat to its most recent occupant Jamie Vokia in last year's election.
Former Solomon Islands' MP, Jamie Vokia, who was ousted from parliament on Friday 15 February 2020, through a successful election petition in thecountry's High Court. Photo: Solomon Islands National Parliament
Vokia in turn lost the seat after being found guilty of bribing voters.
But, in an increasingly common practice in Solomon Islands politics, Vokia's wife, Ethel Lency, is running in the upcoming by-election to try and reclaim her husband's seat.
Similar scenes are playing out in the Central Honiara constituency where Jenny Fugui, the wife of the disgraced former MP and cabinet minister, Moffat Fugui, is contesting her husband's former seat.
Fugui was also found guilty of bribing voters.
But unlike the Guadalcanal by-election there is a much broader field contesting the constituency in the capital with 10 candidates including two other women.
Former Solomon Islands MP, Moffat Fugui, who was ousted through a successful election petition in the High Court on the Photo: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
A surprise candidate for Central Honiara though is the former prime minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, who hails from the Western Province.
Lilo was ousted, as the incumbent Solomons prime minister, from his Gizo Kolombangara seat in the 2004 election.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
His campaign for the Honiara seat comes off the back of multiple failed attempts to regain his seat in the Western Provincial capital.
Four political parties have confirmed their candidates across the two by-elections they are the United Party, Party for Rural Advancement, People First Party and Democratic Party.
Noticeably absent is the prime minister Manasseh Sogavare's Our Party, which has gained notoriety for snapping up independent MPs.
This is significant given seven out of the 10 elections candidates contesting Central Honiara are independents as are two out of the four contesting North East Guadalcanal.
Polling for both constituencies will be conducted simultaenously on Wednesday 18 November 2020.
