Solomon Islands pro-China leader Manasseh Sogavare has withdrawn from the race to be the country’s next prime minister following the country’s national election.

The controversial politician, who was in his fourth stint as prime minister coming into the April 17 election, announced on Monday he would not contest, saying he had been “vilified by media” and his family had been subjected to “unprecedented abuse”.

His political party gained 15 seats at the country’s national election, losing more than half of the 37 MPs it had going into the poll.

He will be replaced as his party’s prime ministerial candidate by Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, who will aim to become leader on Thursday when new MPs sit to decide the prime minister in parliament.

It is still unclear whether Mr Manele will have the numbers to become prime minister. 

Mr Sogavare made international headlines when he signed a controversial security pact with China in 2022 after switching the country’s diplomatic relations from Taiwan.  

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