Manasseh Sogavare and Matthew Wale are the official candidates nominated to contest the Solomon Islands prime ministerial election next week.
Government house confirmed the two candidates names at the close of nominations on Thursday afternoon.
Photo: RNZ/Koroi Hawkins
Manasseh Sogavare, a longserving MP who has been prime minister three times before, represents the Democratic Coalition for Advancement, a group of political parties made up mostly of MPs from the last government.
Matthew Wale, an outspoken MP who earlier this week made allegations that Mr Sogavare's coalition was being backed by foreign loggers, is a surprise nomination for the Grand Coalition, a group of six political parties who had earlier suggested they were going to field a different candidate.
The Democratic Coalition for Advancement has rubbished the allegations pointing out that they are virtually the same coalition which made up the last government.
Matthew Wale the MP for Aoke Langa Langa, who is one of the two candidates contesting the prime ministerial election in Solomon Islands on Wednesday 24 April. Photo: Island Sun/Charles Kadamana
The election of the prime minister will be held at parliament house on Wednesday the 24th of April.
Voting will be done by MPs casting secret ballots.
In order to win candidates must secure the support of at least 26 of the 50 MPs in the house.
