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 led by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. This party has taken part in elections, including the ones in 2010 and 2024.

History of OUR Party

How the Party Started in 2010

The OUR Party was officially started on January 16, 2010, though it was first announced in December 2012. It was founded by Manasseh Sogavare, who was the leader of the opposition at the time and a former Prime Minister. Eight other members of parliament joined him.

The party shared its plans to invest about $780 million (Solomon Islands dollars) over four years. This money would be used to help the rural areas of the country grow. They wanted to make sure people in these areas could take part in developing their economy. The party also said that local governments would need to be very involved in these plans.

They also talked about looking into giving back land that was taken for public use during the time the country was a colony. This included land in Honiara, the capital city. The party said it would look at how Vanuatu handled similar land ownership issues.

During the party's official launch in Gizo, Mr. Sogavare pointed out that a lot of valuable wood was being exported from Western Province. However, the people who owned the land were not getting much money or better government services. He promised to deal with concerns about the border with Papua New Guinea. He also stressed that keeping the country united was a main goal of the OUR Party.

Later, during the campaign for the 2010 general election, Mr. Sogavare explained the party's beliefs: "OUR Party is based on Christian values. We want to give ownership of this country back to the people of the Solomon Islands. We are also focused on national unity. We believe that we can only make progress if we are united and see each other as family. We also want to encourage responsible leaders at all levels. We are committed to helping our people through a development plan that focuses on people, rural areas, and growth."

The party also mentioned that it would help people affected by climate change. They pledged to provide money to help these people move to safer places if the party won the election.

Relaunching the Party in 2019

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

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

First, they wanted to keep people united and prevent arguments, like those that happened in 2000. Second, they aimed to improve the country's laws and government to keep everyone safe. Third, they focused on helping the country's economy grow. They planned to use money from countries like Australia and China for projects like building roads and other important structures.

The fourth goal was about national safety and trade. The party wanted to keep good relationships with countries like Australia while also building stronger ties with China. Their fifth goal was to help people develop their land and resources. During a campaign event, Mr. Sogavare spoke about his government's decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China.

Election Results

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