China, health system top issues as Solomon Islands holds national election

Voters board the already overcrowded Fair Glory ferry in Honiara, Solomon Islands, April 13, 2024, heading to Malaita Island to vote in a national election. The country in which China has gained most influence in the South Pacific goes to the polls on Wednesday. Dwellings are perched at the informal settlement of Koa Hill in Honiara, Solomon Islands, April 14, 2024.

The Solomon Islands holds a national election on Wednesday, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with China that prompted concern from the United States and South Pacific neighbors.