Gov’t House confirms Hou, Fugui as candidates for the prime minister’s election next week
By AATAI JOHN
MEMBER of Parliament for Central Honiara John Moffat Fugui will contest against the MP for Small Malaita Rick Hou for the Prime Ministership on Wednesday next week.
The Governor General’s Deputy Secretary Rawcliff Ziza confirmed this to the media on Friday afternoon.
He revealed that only two names were submitted as nominations for the top political leadership position closed at 4:30pm yesterday.
The Honiara Hotel Camp nominated Fugui as its candidate whilst the Heritage Park Hotel camp nominated Mr Hou.
Mr Fugui was nominated by Danny Philip, Snyder Rini, Douglas Ete and David Tome. On the other hand, MrHou was nominated by the ousted Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Freda Tuki, Stanley Sofu and Peter Shanel Agovaka.
Mr Ziza said the Acting Governor General will write to the MPs to inform them about the candidates for the election of the new Prime Minister (PM) on Wednesday.
Mr Sogavare was ousted in a motion of No Confidence on Monday this week.
He was unseated by a majority vote of 27 to 23.
However, the Opposition and Independent group’s numerical strength dwindled after the motion of no-confidence after the Democratic Alliance Party(DAP) switched joined the Heritage Park Hotel camp due to a disagreement over candidacy for the prime ministership.
The infusion of DAP, the former Opposition, into the Heritage Park Hotel camp boosted itsnumbers from 23 to 30.
The Heritage Park Hotel camp confirmed their new coalition yesterday which is made up of Kadere Party, Peoples’ Alliance Party, DAP and Peoples’ First Party.
The United Democratic Party which used to be the major coalition partner in the former Democratic Coalition for Change Government is now part of the new coalition that makes up the new Opposition and Independent Group.
