Clay Forau Soalaoi, more commonly referred to as Clay Forau, (born 10 October 1976) is a
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
politician.
He was first elected to
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, 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
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
motion of no confidence
A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
, Forau supported his successor
Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare (born 17 January 1955) is a Solomon Islander politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2024. He served as the prime minister of Solomon Islands for a total of nine years from 2000–2001, 2006–2007, 2014–2017 ...
, and was appointed Minister for Health and Medical Services. He was also a member of Sogavare's Social Credit Party. He held this position until December 2007, when Prime Minister Sogavare was himself ousted in a vote of no confidence and
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
.
In January 2008, he was appointed chairman of the Constitution Review Committee.
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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
. Rather than join the Opposition, he was elected Leader of the Independent Members of Parliament on 30 August. In early April 2011, however, he relinquished this position to join the ranks of the government. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Minister for Police, National Security and Correctional Services.
On 9 November 2011, he resigned and joined the Opposition, as part of a mass defection which brought down the Philip government two days later.
Gordon Darcy Lilo
Gordon Darcy Lilo (born 28 August 1965) is a Solomon Islander politician who served as the prime minister of Solomon Islands from 16 November 2011 to 9 December 2014. He was a member of the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands, representin ...
replaced Philip as Prime Minister on 16 November, and reappointed Forau to his previous position five days later.
On 9 February 2012, Lilo sacked Peter Shannel Agovaka as Foreign Minister, for having publicly raised the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
without awaiting Lilo's approval. On 27 February, Lilo appointed Forau in his place.
Forau lives in
Tikopia
Tikopia is a volcanic island in Temotu Province, in the independent nation of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Although most of Solomon Islands is Melanesian, Tikopia is culturally Polynesian. Its remoteness has enabled much of its c ...