Fred Fono

Fred Iro Fono (born October 10 1962) is a politician in the Solomon Islands who has been Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs since December 2007. [http://www.parliament.gov.sb/index.php?q=node/156 CV on Fono at Parliament website] .] He is a member of the People's Alliance Party [ [http://www.parliament.gov.sb/index.php?q=node/147 List of Members of Parliament by political party] , Parliament website.] and has represented Central Kwara'ae Constituency in the National Parliament since 1997.

Fono served as Chief Commercial Officer of the Corporate Division of the Ministry of Commerce & Primary Industries and as Provincial Secretary for Malaita Province before being elected to the National Parliament for the first time in the August 1997 parliamentary election. He then served as Minister for Development and Planning from September 29 1997 to June 5 2000. He was a candidate for the position of Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament later that year, but withdrew his candidacy on December 1 2000, leaving Jackson Sunaone to win the post without opposition. ["Solomon Islands: Outgoing deputy speaker takes up ministerial posts", Solomon Islands Ministry of Commerce web site (nl.newsbank.com), December 1, 2000.] He was re-elected to his seat in the December 2001 parliamentary election and subsequently served as Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament from December 20 2001 to January 3 2005. He was then Minister for National Planning and Aid Coordination from February 4 2005 to April 4 2006. Re-elected to his seat in April 2006, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Planning and Aid Coordination in the short-lived government of Snyder Rini from April 21 2006 to May 4 2006. Fono was the government's candidate to replace Rini as Prime Minister, ["Solomon Islands prime ministerial candidate denies corruption", Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation text website (nl.newsbank.com), April 29, 2006.] but he was defeated by Manasseh Sogavare in the parliamentary vote on May 4, receiving 22 votes against 28 for Sogavare. ["Solomon Islands prime minister sworn in", Radio Australia (nl.newsbank.com), May 5, 2006.] He was then elected as Leader of the Opposition on May 5, receiving unanimous support from the members of the opposition. ["Solomon Islands opposition elects leader", Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation text website (nl.newsbank.com), May 5, 2006.]

Criticizing Sogavare's worsening of relations with Australia through his refusal to extradite Attorney-General Julian Moti, Fono introduced a motion of no-confidence against Sogavare that was defeated on October 11 2006; the motion was supported by 17 members of parliament, while 28 voted against it. [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-11-voa17.cfm "Solomons Prime Minister Wins No-Confidence Vote"] , VOA News, October 11, 2006.] After Sogavare was defeated in another no-confidence vote in December 2007, Fono became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural Development and Indigenous Affairs under Prime Minister Derek Sikua on December 21 2007. [Joanna Sireheti and Joy Basi, [http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwid=1145 "Prime Minister Sikua Unveil Cabinet"] , "Solomon Times Online", December 22, 2007.]

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