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2008 Assessment

Solomon Islands: Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Solomon Islands : Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Voting & Citizen Participation
Indicators		Score
14	Is there a legal framework guaranteeing the right to vote?	100
15	Can all citizens exercise their right to vote?	83
16	Are citizens able to participate equally in the political process?	90

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

Is there a legal framework guaranteeing the right to vote?

14a: In law, universal and equal adult suffrage is guaranteed to all citizens.

Score:

YES

Comments: All citizens aged 18 and above have the right to vote. Exceptions are made for those imprisoned for more than six months, those 'adjudged to be of unsound mind' and those 'disqualified from registration as an elector or from voting at elections under any law for the time being in force in Solomon Islands relating to offenses connected with elections.' (Constitution of Solomon Islands, Chapter VI, S 55, 1978, [ LINK ])

References: Constitution of Solomon Islands, Chapter VI, S 55, 1978, [ LINK ]

14b: In law, there is a legal framework requiring that elections be held at regular intervals.

Score:

YES

Comments: Elections are held every four years. Parliament is dissolved four years after the first sitting, and elections need to be held no more than four months later.

References: Constitution of Solomon Islands, 1978, S. 73, (3), & 74, [ LINK ].

Can all citizens exercise their right to vote?

15a: In practice, all adult citizens can vote.

Score:

100

Comments: 1. The impact of one constitutional provision is to disenfranchise electoral officials working outside their constituencies of registration: 'Any person who is registered as an elector in any constituency shall be entitled to vote in such manner as may be prescribed at any election for that constituency unless ... he is for any other reason unable to attend in person at the place and time appointed for polling.' (Constitution of Solomon Islands, 1978, Chapter VI, S. 56.(1) [ LINK ]" target="_blank">[ LINK ]).

2. Citizens overseas are unable to vote - there is no system of postal voting.

3. Exceptions are made for those imprisoned for more than six months, those 'adjudged to be of unsound mind' and those 'disqualified from registration as an elector or from voting at elections under any law for the time being in force in Solomon Islands relating to offenses connected with elections.' (Constitution of Solomon Islands, Chapter VI, S 55, 1978, http://www.paclii.org/sb/legis/consol_act/c1978167/)

References: Solomon Islands General Election, April 5, 2006, Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group, [ LINK ]. p16.

Solomon Islands National Election, April 5, 2006, Report of the Pacific Islands Forum Observer Team. [unavailable online]

15b: In practice, ballots are secret or equivalently protected.

Score:

100

Comments: The secrecy of the ballots has been improved by the introduction of the single ballot box system at the 2006 polls. However, some provincial governments have been reluctant to adopt the system. Provincial elections on Malaita reverted to the multiple ballot box system, which is open to abuse. Under the multiple ballot box system, voters enter a polling room and lodge a ballot in one of several boxes, one for each candidate. Where it is possible to observe through windows etc, it is easy to establish which candidate was selected. The marking of a ballot in a voting cubicle and the lodging of this in a single ballot box makes ballot secrecy more likely.

References: Solomon Islands General Election, April 5, 2006, Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group, p27-29, [ LINK ].

Solomon Islands National Election, April 5, 2006, Report of the Pacific Islands Forum Observer Team. [unavailable online]

Terry Brown, retired Anglican Bishop of Malaita, Interview, May 7, 2009

15c: In practice, elections are held according to a regular schedule.

Score:

100

Comments: Elections have been held regularly: in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2006. The only major disruption was the June 5, 2000 coup, which overthrew the government of Bartholomew Ulufa'alu.

References: Terry Brown, retired Anglican Bishop of Malaita, Interview, May 7, 2009

Solomon Islands General Election, April 5, 2006, Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group, [ LINK ].

Are citizens able to participate equally in the political process?

16a: In law, all citizens have a right to form political parties.

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: Constitution of Solomon Islands, 1978, 13, (1), [ LINK ]

Listing of political parties in Solomon Islands Parliament [ LINK ].

16b: In law, all citizens have a right to run for political office.

Score:

YES

Comments: Restrictions on standing for Parliament are detailed in Constitution of Solomon Islands, 1978, 49, (1), [ LINK ]

References: Constitution of Solomon Islands, 1978, S. 48, [ LINK ]) 'A person shall be qualified for election as a member of Parliament if, and shall not be so qualified unless - (a) he is a citizen of Solomon Islands; and (b) he has attained the age of twenty-one years."

16c: In practice, all citizens are able to form political parties.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: While there is no guarantee of electoral success, political parties can form freely without opposition. <p>50 Score Criteria: Some barriers to formation are present, such as burdensome registration requirements that may not be fairly applied. Some parties\' political viewpoints may draw pressure from the government, such as surveillance or intimidation. Some political parties or organizations may have extra barriers to getting on a ballot. <p>0 Score Criteria: Some political parties are effectively barred from forming through some manner of official or unofficial pressure. This may include threats, arrest, or violence from competing parties or other groups.$

Comments: There is no financial cost associated with forming a political party (although a formal registration process is currently under consideration by the government as part of a Political Parties Integrity Bill modeled on that in neighboring Papua New Guinea). However, if a prospective party wanted to raise funds it would have to register under the Charitable Trusts Act.

References: Transparency International, National Integrity Systems: Solomon Islands 2004, p17-18, [ LINK ].

Terry Brown, retired Anglican Bishop of Malaita, Interview, May 7, 2009

Warren Cahill, Parliamentary Strengthening Project, Telephone Interview, May 19, 2009

16d: In practice, all citizens can run for political office.

Score:

100

Comments: The costs of running a campaign can be high, although candidates are reluctant to acknowledge actual levels of expenditure if they bust the (unenforced) SI$50,000 (US$6,310) limit. Candidates regularly pay agents with influence in specific communities to solicit support or, in some cases, pay rivals not to contest. Candidates regularly give cash handouts on the night before an election (the so-called 'devil's night'). Logging operators and would-be casino operators have also been known to seek to influence election outcomes, in the process contributing to the amount of money involved in running a campaign. Candidates from outer islands often need to raise finance in order to transport voters back to their home constituencies to vote on election day. There is no system of postal voting in Solomon islands.

References: Terry Brown, retired Anglican Bishop of Malaita, Interview, May 7, 2009

Ashley Wickham, Political Advisor, Prime Minister's Office, Interview, May 9, 2009

Ofani Eremae, Editor, Solomon Star, Interview by telephone, May 18, 2009

16e: In practice, an opposition party is represented in the legislature.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: The opposition party always has some influence on the proceedings of the legislature. The opposition party can introduce legislation or bring pending matters to a vote without the consent of the ruling party. <p>50 Score Criteria: The opposition party has influence on the proceeding of the legislature, but it is limited in scope. The opposition\'s ability to force votes or publicly debate certain topics may be limited. <p>0 Score Criteria: The opposition party has only token participation in the legislature\'s proceedings and cannot advance legislation or force a debate.$

Comments: This question is misleading in the Solomon Islands context. Although some parliamentarians claim to be members of political parties, particularly in the run up to elections these organizations exert little influence over political loyalties and MPs move reasonably freely between government and opposition regardless of nominal party allegiances. The largest faction in Parliament after the 2006 election was the Association of Independent Members of Parliament -- not a party. The leader of the opposition, at present, is Manasseh Sogavare, who at the 2006 election described himself as a member of the Social Credit Party. At least one other member of that party is currently in the government.

References: Terry Brown, retired Anglican Bishop of Malaita, Interview, May 7, 2009

National parliament of the Solomon islands, data on political parties, [ LINK ]

Jon Fraenkel, 'The Impact of RAMSI on the 2006 Elections in the Solomon Islands' in Political Science, 58, (2), (2006). [not available online]

Peer Review Comments: While I accept the comment about fluidity between parties, in fact opposition parties can and do influence the proceedings of the legislature. It was an opposition vote of no confidence that led to the defeat of then PM Sgavare in 2007.