Leader of the Independent Members

The Leader of the Independent Members, also referred to as Leader of the Independent Group, is a Member of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands who is officially recognised as leader of a group of MPs who are aligned neither with the government nor with the Official Opposition.

The position is established by the Constitution of 1978, which has been in force since the country's independence from the United Kingdom. Article 66 of the Constitution creates the functions of Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Independent Members, which are separate. (While "Leader of the Opposition" is a position found throughout the Commonwealth realms, "Leader of the Independent Members" is specific to Solomon Islands.) Both are officially appointed by the Governor-General, who appoints as Leader the Member of Parliament recognised as such by the Opposition, or by unaligned Members, respectively. The Governor-General may dismiss the Leader of the Independent Members if it appears he no longer enjoys the support of those members. The Leader of the Independent Members has no specific, constitutionally defined functions.[1]

The following have served as Leader of the Independent Members:

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