Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party facts for kids

The Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party, often called OUR Party, is a political party in the Solomon Islands. It is currently led by Jeremiah Manele. The party has taken part in important elections, including those in 2010 and 2024.

History

How OUR Party Started in 2010

The OUR Party was officially created on December 17, 2012. It was launched about a month later. The party was started by Manasseh Sogavare, who was the leader of the opposition at the time and a former Prime Minister. Eight other members of parliament (MPs) joined him.

The party announced big plans to help the country's economy. They wanted to invest a lot of money, about $780 million, over four years. This money would go into the areas outside of cities, called the rural economy. The goal was to help people in these areas take part more in economic growth. Local governments in each province would also need to help with this development.

OUR Party also promised to look into giving back land to its original owners. This land was taken for public use during the time the Solomon Islands was a colony. This was especially true in the capital city, Honiara. The party said it would follow a similar plan to what Vanuatu did for land ownership.

During the party's launch in Gizo, Manasseh Sogavare spoke about the Western Province. He said that even though a lot of wood was exported from there, the local landowners did not get much money or better government services. He promised to fix this. He also said the party would deal with problems from the Bougainville crisis. This crisis affected the sea border with Papua New Guinea. Sogavare stressed that making the country united was a main goal of OUR Party.

Later, during the campaign for the 2010 general election, Sogavare explained more about the party's beliefs. He said OUR Party was based on Christian values. He added that the party wanted to give ownership of the country back to all its people. This included both those born there and those who became citizens. He also said they wanted to encourage good leadership at all levels. The party aimed to help people through a development plan that focused on people, rural areas, and growth.

The party also talked about the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They felt it was too expensive and used ideas from other countries. They believed there were better local ways to solve conflicts. In May 2010, party secretary general Patterson Oti said the party would spread out development programs. This would give more power to the provinces. In June, Sogavare promised to spend $6.2 million to help people who had to move because of climate change, if his party won the election.

OUR Party's Relaunch in 2019

After the 2019 general election, Manasseh Sogavare relaunched the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party. Even though Sogavare ran as an independent candidate in that election, he later joined a group called the DCGA coalition. The OUR Party itself was not officially registered to take part in the 2019 elections.

The 2024 Election

Before the 2024 general election, OUR Party shared its plans on February 8, 2024. Prime Minister Sogavare announced the party's five main goals for the election.

• The first goal was to keep people together and prevent fighting between different groups, like what happened in 2000.
• The second was to make the country's laws and government systems stronger. This would help keep everyone safe.
• The third goal was to grow the economy and improve people's lives. The party planned to use money from Australia and China for big building projects.
• The fourth goal was about national safety and trade. The party wanted to keep good relationships with countries like Australia. They also wanted to build stronger ties with China, which they called a "look north" policy.
• The fifth goal was to help with development and give people more control over land and resources.

During a campaign event in Auki, the capital of Malaita province, Sogavare spoke about China. He praised China's political system. He also said that his government's choice to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China had made the Solomon Islands more known around the world. After this election, Sogavare decided not to run for prime minister again. He also stepped down as the leader of OUR Party. Jeremiah Manele then became the new leader.

Election Results

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
2010	24,138	10.24 (#2)	4 / 50	New	Opposition
2014	Did not contest		0 / 50	4	Extra-parliamentary
2019	Did not contest		0 / 50	0	Extra-parliamentary
2024	83,279	24.07 (#1)	15 / 50	15	Government