Ethel Lency Vokia has become the fourth woman to be elected to the Solomon Islands parliament, a record number for a single term.
The National Parliament of Solomon Islands overlooking Honiara City Photo: RNZ Koroi Hawkins
This comes as counting for two by-elections, in the Northeast Guadalcanal and Central Honiara constituencies, were completed over the weekend.
Both by-elections were called because the respective former MPs were found guilty of bribing voters.
But while the disgraced MPs weren't allowed to recontest their seats, both their spouses did so in their place.
This proved successful in North East Guadalcanal where Vokia polled a winning total of 2207 votes edging out former prime minister Derek Sikua.
Her husband, Jamie Vokia's 2019 general election win was overturned by an electoral petition.
She joins Freda Tuki, Lillian Maefai and Lanelle Tanangada in the current house to make up the largest contingent of women MPs in any single parliament.
Meanwhile Alfred Efona of the United Party has prevailed in the Central Honiara electorate.
He beat former prime minister Gordon Darcy Lilo of the Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement who finished second.
Efona triggered the by-election by filing a petition disputing the return that saw John Moffat Fugui win the seat in 2019.
The Solomon Star reports that it took three days to complete the vote counting.
The new MPs will be sworn in during the next sitting of parliament.
