Solomon Islands' defecting MPs say 'not much trust' in Jeremiah Manele's government

Frederick Kologeto, the leader of the Peoples First Party (PFP) and one of ten Cabinet ministers to resign on Sunday night, says the opposition has the numbers to oust Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.

Kologeto, who was the deputy prime minister in Manele's coalition government, told RNZ Pacific "there's not much trust within the government".

He said every member of PFP were joining the opposition camp, and that they had the numbers to pass a motion of no confidence against Manele.

"There are issues between us and the coalition partners, and we don't see any resolution to this, so we decided to move," he said.

"There were a few issues between us, I think one is trust."

In a 50 seat Parliament, the government now have 27 MPs compared to the opposition's 23, according to the Political Parties Commission.

Supporting Manele's OUR Party is the Kadere Party's 3 MPs, having lost the PFP's 12.

They are up against an opposition loosely led by Matthew Wale of the 4-member Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP), otherwise consisting of small parties and independents.

Though he wouldn't reveal details, Kologeto claimed to have 28 MPs on side, and were expecting to file a motion of no confidence later in the day.

But Kologeto said he is open to a different pathway if Manele offers it.

"Of course, there are options there. We'll leave it to the Prime Minister to decide."

This is Manele's third leadership threat, having survived a motion of no confidence in April 2025 after six Ministers and five government backbenchers walked away.

Other resignations included Finance Minister Harry Kuma and Justice Minister Clezy Rore, each former members of Manele's OUR Party.

Manele's office said it is too early to provide any outcome.

"At this stage, the Prime Minister is focused on ensuring that government operations and public services continue uninterrupted," a spokesperson said.

"The Prime Minister has called on all public servants (through Secretary to Cabinet) to continue their important work while political leaders engage to resolve the current situation. The government will continue to keep the public informed as developments unfold."

If Manele retains his hold on power and Kologeto beds down into the Opposition long term, Kologeto may pose a threat to Wale, whose SIDP is a third the size the PFP.

RNZ Pacific has approached the Opposition for comment.