1970 Solomon Islands general election

none General elections were held in the Solomon Islands in May and June 1970, the first to the new Governing Council. Most candidates ran as independents.Decolonization United Nations Background The new Governing Council consisted of seventeen elected members (increased from fourteen in the Legislative Council), six civil servants (down from twelve) and three ex officio members, the first time a Solomon Islands legislature had an elected majority. The Council was to be chaired by the High Commissioner.Two kinds of democracy (1) Solomons Pacific Islands Monthly, February 1970, p25 Rather than introducing cabinet government, the new constitution provided for government by committee, which was deemed more in line with Melanesian culture of reaching agreement by consensus rather than majority vote. The Governing Council had five committees, which were responsible for Communications and Works, Education and Social Welfare, Finance, Health and Internal Affairs, and Natural Resources.Politics experiments going soon in Solomons Pacific Islands Monthly, June 1970, pp26–27 Results ConstituencyCandidateVotes%NotesCentral MalaitaJonathan Fiifii'i61336.47ElectedDaniel Foasifobae44226.29Peter Taloni28416.89UnseatedNelson Kifo17310.29Calisto Kobiloko16910.05Total1,681100Choiseul/ShortlandsRemesio Eresi77836.36ElectedBinet Gadebeta52024.30Moses Puibangara Pitakaka50623.64John Macdonald1738.08Jason Dorovolomo1637.62Total2,140100East GuadalcanalLeone Laku44237.94Re-electedJoseph Bryan42236.22Joel Kikolo14612.53David Valusa897.64William Norman Tasker665.67Total1,165100Eastern Outer IslandsDavid Dawea Taukalo Elected by electoral collegeP Bagira TAC Hepwerth Jason Melake Total HoniaraPeter Salaka87457.92ElectedPeter Kenilorea32721.67Peter Smith30820.41Total1,509100MakiraSolomon Mamaloni1,28646.95ElectedGeoffrey Kuper1,28046.73Nathaniel Rahumae Waena1736.32Total2,739100New GeorgiaSamuel Kuku1,15455.37ElectedFrank Wickham62429.94George Pina Lilo24711.85Aaron Ben592.83Total2,084100Ngella/Savo/RussellsEdmond Kiva1,05455.50ElectedCecil Wilson Maneau45624.01Silas Niavuni21311.22John Plant Hoka1769.27UnseatedTotal1,899100North Central MalaitaPeter Kerr Thompson1,44171.23Re-electedJohn Maetia Kaliuae58228.77Total2,023100North East MalaitaMariano Kelesi89966.74Re-electedDudley Kiriau44833.26Total1,347100North MalaitaClement Kiriau Ofai65759.35Re-electedJotham Ausuta45040.65Total1,107100Santa IsabelWillie Betu1,42372.53Re-electedDaniel Denys Maile53927.47Total1,962100South Central MalaitaDavid Kausimae1,55291.08Re-electedEliel Ahikau1528.92Total1,704100South GuadalcanalGeorge Pugeva——Elected unopposedSouth MalaitaAnthony Saru54441.24ElectedAziel Laealaha48937.07George Garnet28621.68Total1,319100Vella Lavella/KolombangaraGordon Siama93845.51ElectedBelshazzar Gina50724.60Bruce Ragoso38018.44George Talasasa23611.45Total2,061100West GuadalcanalAlfred Maeke46531.61ElectedBara Buchanan34523.45David Thuguvoda33722.91Matthew Belamataga32422.03Total1,471100Registered voters/turnout51,904 Source: Social Science Research Network,Wood Terence 1 May 2014 Solomon Islands Election Results 1967-2013 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2488857 Social Science Research Network Election PassportElection Passport Appointed members PositionMemberEx officioActing Chief SecretaryR. DaviesAttorney-GeneralD.R. DavisFinancial SecretaryJ. H. SmithOfficialCommissioner of LabourB.C. WilmotCommissioner of Lands and SurveysJ.B. TwomneyDirector of AgricultureF.M. SpenserDirector of EducationA.G.H. HouseDirector of Medical ServicesJ.D. MacgregorDirector of Public WorksW.A. WoodSource: Solomons Encyclopaedia Aftermath The newly elected Council met for the first time on 15 July. Gordon Siama was appointed chair of the Communications and Works committee, Willie Betu became chair of the Education and Social Welfare committee, Tom Russell (Financial Secretary) became chair of the Finance committee, Roy Davies was appointed chair of the Health and Internal Affairs committee, and David Kausimae became chair of the Natural Resources committee.The Solomons has 'its own thing' – but it's not 'Goodbye Britain' Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1970, pp18–20 Joseph Bryan, who lost by 20 votes in East Guadalcanal, lodged a petition against the election results, claiming that the votes cast at two polling stations had been rejected as they contained markings that could identify the voter. The High Court heard the petition on 10 August; with the Returning Officer and winning candidate Leone Laku failing to lodge objections, the court annulled the result and ordered a by-election to be held.Islanders feel their way in the new Solomons council Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1970, p19 The by-election took place on 10 October, with Bryan winning with 977 votes; Laku finished second with 362.Solomons elections Pacific Islands Monthly, November 1970, p3 In 1971 Silas Sitai was appointed 'shadow chairman', becoming the first Speaker of the legislature.The Solomons (Speaker appointed) talks of independence in 1975 Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1971, pp23–24 References General Category:Elections in the Solomon Islands Solomons Category:Governing Council of the Solomon Islands Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results