Clay Forau Soalaoi

The Right Honourable Clay Forau Soalaoi MP
Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services
In office 18 April 2011 – 9 November 2011
Prime Minister	Danny Philip
Preceded by	James Tora
Succeeded by	to be determined
Minister for Health and Medical Services
In office 5 May 2006 – 21 December 2007
Prime Minister	Manasseh Sogavare
Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs
In office 22 April 2006 – 5 May 2006
Prime Minister	Snyder Rini
Leader of the Independent Members
In office 30 August 2010 – 7 April 2011
Member of Parliament for Temotu Vatud
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 April 2006
Preceded by	Hudson Teava Rangissearofa
Personal details
Born	10 October 1976 Namo Village, Tikopia
Political party	Social Credit Party, then People's Federation Party

Clay Forau Soalaoi, more commonly referred to as Clay Forau, (born 10 October 1976^[1]) is a Solomon Islands politician.

He was first elected to Parliament, representing the Temotu Vatud constituency, at the 2006 general election, in April. From 22 April to 5 May, he served briefly as Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs, under Prime Minister Snyder Rini. When Rini was forced to resign in the face of public protests and a motion of no confidence, Forau supported his successor Manasseh Sogavare, and was appointed Minister for Health and Medical Services. He was also a member of Sogavare's Social Credit Party.^[2] He held this position until December 2007, when Prime Minister Sogavare was himself ousted in a vote of no confidence and Derek Sikua named a new Cabinet.^[3][4]

In January 2008, he was appointed chairman of the Constitution Review Committee.^[5]

In June 2009, Forau replaced Martin Magga as Minister for Health and Medical Services. The latter was "relieved of his ministerial duties on medical grounds" after being hospitalized in Australia and placed on life support.^[6]

Retaining his seat in the August 2010 general election, in which he stood as a member of the People's Federation Party^[7], he nonetheless lost his seat in Cabinet. Rather than join the Opposition, he was elected Leader of the Independent Members of Parliament on 30 August.^[8] In early April 2011, however, he relinquished this position to join the ranks of the government.^{[9] [10] [11]} Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services.^[12]

On November 9, 2011, he resigned and joined the Opposition, as part of a mass defection which brought down the Philip government two days later.^{[13] [14]}

Forau lives in Tikopia.^[15]

References

• Member page on the Parliament website

1. ^ Member page on the Parliament website
2. ^ Members of the Eighth Parliament, by party, website of the National Parliament
3. ^ Member page on the Parliament website
4. ^ Joanna Sireheti and Joy Basi, "Prime Minister Sikua Unveil Cabinet", Solomon Times Online, 22 December 2007.
5. ^ Member page on the Parliament website
6. ^ "Soalaoi is New Health Minister", Solomon Times, 10 June 2009
7. ^ 2010 election data, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
8. ^ "Abana is new Opposition leader", Solomon Star, 1 September 2010
9. ^ "Solomon Islands' PM stronger after opposition walkouts", ABC Radio Australia, 7 April 2011
10. ^ "Rick Hou Joins Government", Solomon Times, 7 April 2011
11. ^ "Govt builds numbers", Solomon Star, 7 April 2011
12. ^ "New Cabinet Ministers Sworn in", Solomon Times, 19 April 2011
13. ^ "Lilo fired", Solomon Star, 11 November 2011
14. ^ "PM Resigns", Solomon Star, 11 November 2011
15. ^ Member page on the Parliament website

Persondata
Name	Soalaoi, Clay Forau
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 October 1976
Place of birth	Namo Village, Tikopia
Date of death
Place of death