Early years

 Introduction

Mr. Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was born in 1955 in Popondetta, Papua New Guinea, to a Solomon Islands' Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) family. His family hailed from Choisel Island, one of the nine provinces of SI. 

At the time, PNG was under the control of the Australian government per the UN Mandate. It is a strange birth because, if PNG was a recognized country at the time of his birth, Sogavare was a citizen of Australia. Returning home to SI didn't make him a Solomon Islander, either. Solomon Islands at the time was a territory of Britain - British Protectorate State of the Solomon Islands. If that was the case, he was a dual citizen of Australia and Britain. In 1978, however, Sogavare became the citizen of the newly created country of SI and there his real life began - a proud Solomon Islander. 

A new country, a new identity

By the time he was 10 years old, his father, according to written record online, returned to the Solomon Islands. Other little Sogavares and mother remained in PNG; there is no explanation as to why he accompanied his father while the rest of the family remained in PNG, but for the purpose of this writing, the family may be feeling at home in PNG. By then, the government was still under the control of the Australian government. 

In just few years, PNG became an independent country on 16 September 1975. After three years of PNG's independence, the SI became an independent country of its own on 7 July 1978. At the time of the country's independence, Sogavare was 23 years old, he was at his prime. 

The Journey Began

He spent years as a young teen toilet cleaning and dishwashing in a Chinese shop in Chinatown, Honiara, while migrating through the government's primary and high school system. He eventually graduated at from the Betikama Adventist High School - BAHS, and went straight to work in the government, where he held various positions in the public sector. At the time, a high school education was sufficient for working in the newly created country, even some coveted jobs. 

In 1997, he returned to his home to contest for the East Choisel constituency seat and won it with ease. For a veteran public servant like him, the roads and hallways of the SI parliament were roads he'd walked many years and was comfortable with them. He was appointed as 'Minister of Finance' in the newly created SICA coalition under the leadership of Hon. Bartholomew, whom he helped overthrow a few years later.

Sogavare dream position as finance minister didn't last. As 1997 and 1998 grinding down to a halt, Mr. Sogavare found himself at the bad side of Ulufa'alu. He was fired. Reasons for Sogavare's termination remained are unknown, but his expulsion from the coalition made him walk the floor. Mr. Sogavare crossed the floor and joined the Opposition and began plotting the demise of his rival, the PM. 

In 2000, he and his Paramilitary Force (a combined Malaita Eagle Force and Police Field Force) overthrew the government and in an emergency parliamentary seating, he was elected Prime Minister for the first time. He had unachievable the unthinkable, but at the coast of destroying the country he claimed to love and respect. The country that time crashed and never recovered from it, even after two decades. 

Opportunist 

We argued in this blog that Sogavare is an opportunist—a Machiavellian politician. This is the type of politician that doesn't really care how he achieved his goal(s), as long things were getting done. All the political arm-twisting and hair-pulling don't mean anything to this class of politician, as long as the “end” is met. In other words, the sporting facilities, the infrastructure investments, etc, justified the pivot to China, and the expulsion of Taiwan. 

In Sogavare's argument, all that he is doing is to benefit the country. One of his responses to all the Australian criticisms of his pivot to China, was that he needed the money that the Australian government couldn't supply. Mr. Sogavare argued that because SI doesn't have the money and the means to develop, he, just like any other country leader in the word, turned to China. He also criticized anyone that suggested SI-China relationship is a sign Sogavare is an authoritarian, forgot the fact that every country, including NZ, Australia and even the US hold Chines investments worth billions. Pointing to this, Sogavare felt justified in his embrace of China's economic development – the Belt and Road Initiative (BBI). And after all the finger-pointing, every thing he did, regardless of how unpopular they maybe, is justified by all the good things SI will have during and after the PGs. 

Political Profile

Parliamentary Service &&

• Elected to the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands for East Choiseul Constituency on 6th August 1997. Re-elected 5th December 2001, 5th April 2006.
  *In 2001, he attempted to extend the life of parliament but he was defeated. 
  *In 2002, he was defeated by Allan Kemakeza. 
  *In 2003, RAMSI arrived, and Sogavare was furious. 
  *Minister in the SICA coalition. He was terminated after a dispute with the government. The PM was eliminated.
  *In 2006, he was elected after switching camp, as Prime Minister for the second time.
  *In 2008: he was removed from office by 'No-Confident Motion' (NCM), and Dr. Sikua became PM. 
• Re-elected to the National Parliament on 4th August 2010
  
• Re-elected to the National Parliament on 19th November 2014
  *In 2014, he became prime minister. 
  

Ministerial Appointments

• Minister of Finance and Treasury and Deputy Prime Minister from 16th November 2017 to date.
• Prime Minister from 9th December 2014 to 6th November 2017.
  *In 2017, he was removed from office via a 'No-Confident Motion' against him, moved by Sikua. 
  *Prime Minister Rick Hou was elected PM. 

Previous Ministerial Appointments

• Leader of Opposition from 20th December 2007 to 24th April 2010
  
• Prime Minister from 4th May 2006 to 20th December 2007
  *He was elected prime minister in 2006, removed at the end of 2007. Dr. Sikua became the pM after the election. 
• Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment from April 23rd, 2006 to 3rd May 2006
  *He held the position for a mere week before the Snyder Rini coalition collapsed and he became the nominee of the other camp. 
• Prime Minister from 30th June 2000 to 5th December 2001
  
• Leader of Opposition from February 2000 to June 2000
• Minister for Finance and Treasury from 29th August 1997 to 1998
  *Missing in this parliamentary white-washed bio is Mr. Sogavare's participation in the overthrow of PM Ulufa'alu. The duly elected prime minister was forced by gun-men to announce his resignation, and Mr. Sogavare, who was buddying up with the opposition was elected PM. 

&& SOURCE: SI parliament's Website.