Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Government type:
parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy
Capital:
Honiara
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru),
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona,
Temotu, Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members
of Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17
December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December
2001)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from
single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP
20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents
18
elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than
December 2005)
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party
or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh
Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or
SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP
[Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid
coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colin BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed
July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the
Solomon Islands
Flag description:
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower
triangle is green