PARTNERSHIP AND STRONG FAITH KEY TO SUCCESS: SOLOMON ISLANDS WOMAN MP

BY GEORGINA KEKEA

“I pray every day for guidance before I handed in my candidacy and even before the election, I have faith that my God will never fail me”. 

Lanelle Olandrea Tanangada is a woman with strong Christian beliefs. Hailing from Western Province, Lanelle’s father is part Ranogga and Vella and her mother came from Marovo lagoon. With mixed parentage, Lanelle also a mother of two teenage children opted to leave her comfort zone to step in to fulfill her people’s wishes. 

Lanelle was described to be flung into a daunting task and one she courageously took up when her husband was hastily removed from being a Member of Parliament for Gizo/Kolombangara constituency, a position he held for three years before the High Court ruled him out.

A teacher by profession, the quiet spoken but firm woman in an exclusive interview  shared her story.

“My parents were missionaries and I grew up in a strong Christian family of Seventh Day Adventist (SDA). I have only one sibling. My elder brother! And there are only two of us borne to my parents. My mom died about five years ago and my dad currently lives with my family”.

In 2014, Jimson Tanangada, entered politics for the first time, standing as an opponent against the country’s incumbent Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo. 

Lilo had been a stronghold in the Gizo/Kolombangara constituency for more than a decade and his loss to Jimson sent shock waves to the regional world as he was a strong and outspoken Prime Minister during his time. 

Unfortunately for Jimson Tangangada the win was short lived. Straight after the National General Election (NGE), a petition was lodged against him by his predecessor, Gordon Darcy Lilo. With this cloud hanging over his head, he continued his duties as Member of Parliament for Gizo/Kolombangara until the court decided otherwise. 

Gordon Darcy Lilo

 The case took more than half of the 10th parliament’s tenure and thus three years later, High Court finally ruled that Mr. Tanangada had corrupted people to vote for him in 2014.

A ruling that cost him his seat in parliament but made way for his wife to enter into parliament.

“It was not my intention to contest the by-election. But since the high court ruling, members of the constituency had flocked to our house, asking me to contest. I tried to dissuade them from choosing me to contest and I even refer people’s names that I believe will be more suitable then me but they were determined that I must be the one to represent them”.

‘It won’t be the same’, the people were said to tell Lanelle.

In April 2018, Governor General of Solomon Islands, His. Excellency Frank Ofagioro Kabui declared May 23 as the polling date for Gizo/Kolombangara by-election more than five months after the High Court ruling.

“That time I had prayed about what the people had asked me to do. I told God to give me a sign and asked him for guidance. I told my people that though my husband had given his consent, I still need to seek advice from my dad and whatever my dad says, that is how I will make my decision. Because my parents were not one for politics nor were they interested in politics and as strong Christian people I respect them. So there were only two things my dad told me when I consulted him”.

“YES if you are going in for the people and NO if you are going in for your own gain”.

Lanelle says from her father’s response, she knew for sure what this will mean for her.

Five candidates were nominated in the process. Lanelle Olandrea Tanangada, Gordon Darcy Lilo, Peter Soqoilo, Ronald Phillips Dive and Kenneth Bulehite.

During the nomination process she went in, even without understanding the nitty gritty of this process.

“The officer asked me to choose a symbol. I handed in my candidature as an Independent member and the symbols available for me at that time were not what I had in mind. I wanted ‘House’, being a woman but unfortunately there was no House. So I took my time in trying to select a suitable symbol fitting for me and my platform to do my campaigning. And going back and forth between the symbols, the ‘Tree’ stood out the most to me apart from all the other symbols and so I selected it as my symbol”,

Come May 2018, Lanelle won the by-election in a landslide, winning the petitioner of her husband’s seat by a majority of 987 votes. More than 700 votes from her husband in 2014 who won the election back then with a majority of 242 votes. 

 “Looking back to the campaign period and the election period, the ‘tree’ now seems very significant. The tree of life with its roots instilled deep down” brought me here to represent my people today”.

Lanelle graduated with her Masters at Waikato University in New Zealand. Her primary school days were spent in Burns Creek and Palm Drive, primary schools owned and ran by the SDA Mission and after that she did form one to six at Betikama Adventist High School.

After Betikama she went on to Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea to pursue her studies in Education. Upon graduation she came back to the Solomon Islands where she taught at Kukudu Adventist High School before going on to pursue her Masters at Waikato University in New Zealand in 2013.

After Waikato she came back to her teaching career in Kukudu before transferring to Burns Creek and then to Betikama Adventist High School where she taught before she left to enter politics.

“It was not an easy decision to make. I prayed hard about it and I thought much about it. And leaving the job I’ve had for most of my career life has not been easy too. Recently I went to Betikama school for an anniversary program and it had not been easy seeing the students I taught came up to me and say, ‘Madam’ why do you have to leave?’ It is heartbreaking leaving what you love and to venture into the unknown. But these are sacrifices that we as wives do for our husbands. We lift them up when they fall and we stand by them no matter what”.

Lanelle says for her, entering parliament was easy for her because of the collaborative work done by her and the men from their constituency. She said it was their people that chose and asked her to contest and to represent them in parliament. She said being a teacher, is far from being a politician. However with her faith and Christian beliefs, she knew she has an advantage. She said looking back to the election period, she made it unscathed despite remarks and criticisms made in social media.

“I chose not to let the hurting words made by people put me down. I accept the critics and I only take on board the constructive ones and those that are spiteful I ignore”. 

She said in the short span of time, she had learnt a lot and had come to know a lot more about her people. Lanelle says as a woman, getting into parliament is not difficult once you have faith. She says it all comes back to how we treat people and our men in particular. 

“If we respect them, they will respect us. It is this partnership that we women must seek. We cannot work in isolation. We need the support of our men folks and we must try not to compete with them nor keep them out. By respecting the men, they will also respect us. Work hand in hand with the people”, she said.

This year Lanelle will turned 39 on 01st July 2018. Looking back in the country’s history of women politicians, Hilda Kari first entered parliament through a by-election in North East Guadalcanal in 1989 at the age of 40, Vika Lusibaea through a by-election in North Malaita in 2012 at the age of 48 and Freda Tuki Soriocomoa in the NGE in 2014 at the age of 42. 

Lanelle in discussion with Marisa Payne, Australian Politician

So far since the country gained independence in 1978, these were the only four women that got elected into parliament from the more than 80 women that had contested over the years.

For Lanelle the work has just started and she is optimistic she will be able to represent her people well and to carry on her husband’s legacy before the next NGE next year in 2019.

“So in terms of women in parliament, women coming into leadership, I would like to see that we need to support women in decision making and we need to rally that support so that they can also contribute in the Honorable House to do justice for people in decision making, working alongside men. This one I believe will really boost our nation in terms of working together and not seeing women as working isolation”.

ENDS//