Commuters jump over a puddle to board a bus at Point Cruz in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara. 16 April 2024 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
The head of Transparency Solomon Islands says the country's weak political party legislation is skewing voter's choices.
Almost half of the incumbent MPs who contested last month's national election lost their seats and only 15 out of more than 30 candidates fielded by the dominant party in the last government were returned.
Many of the newly elected MPs, particularly those that ran as independents, campaigned on platforms to change the government or be an alternative voice in the house.
But Transparency chief executive Ruth Liloqula says these same politicians, some of whom unseated incumbent government MPs, are now aligning themselves with a coalition which will effectively return the former government to power.
Ruth Liloqula told RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins they have effectively misled their voters.