General elections were held in the Solomon Islands on 6 August 1980. They were the first since independence has been achieved two years earlier. The
Solomon Islands United Party
The Solomon Islands United Party (SIUP) is a political party in the Solomon Islands.
History
The party was established in March 1980 by Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea, and was based on the government he had led since 1978.Haruhiro Fukui (1985) ...
led by Prime Minister
Peter Kenilorea emerged as the largest party, winning 16 of the 38 seats. Following the elections, Kenilorea was re-elected Prime Minister.
Campaign
A total of 244 candidates contested the 38 seats.
[Solomon Islands voters tip 'em out]
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', September 1980, p9
Results
Around two-thirds of incumbent MPs lost their seats.
[
The election result in ]West Honiara
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
was annulled by the Electoral Commission after the High Court ruled that the winning candidate Ben Gale had committed electoral offences. The by-election was held in August 1981 and was won by Gordon Billy Gatu of the National Democratic Party who received 681 votes to the 290 for Frank Saemala of the SIUP and 245 for Lilly Ogatina Poznanski Lilly Ogatina Valahoe Poznanski (14 April 1942 – 14 June 1989) was a politician and educator from the Solomon Islands. She was the first woman to be elected to public office in the country. Poznanski was also the first Solomon Islands woman to be ...
, who ran as an independent.
Aftermath
Following the elections Kenilorea was re-elected Prime Minister, defeating People's Alliance Party leader Solomon Mamaloni
Solomon Sunaone Mamaloni (23 January 1943 – 11 January 2000) was a Solomon Islands politician. He was the first Chief Minister of the islands, and later served as Prime Minister for three spells in the 1980s and 1990s.
Biography
Mamaloni was ...
by 25 votes to 5. He formed a government with the support of a group of independents led by