Matthew Wale is the new prime minister of Solomon Islands after winning a vote in the Pacific island nation's parliament this morning. Mr Wale won a secret ballot of MPs, 26 to 22, over former foreign affairs minister Peter Shanel Agovaka after former prime minister Jeremiah Manele was removed in a no-confidence vote last week.Mr Wale, a long-time opposition leader who has been in parliament for two decades, was a vocal critic of the 2022 security pact Solomon Islands signed with China. At one point he called to revoke it; however, most political watchers expect him to continue with the status quo in his country's relations with China and Australia. Speaking outside parliament after the vote this morning, Mr Wale flagged a new direction for the country, saying "change is coming". "The government that I lead will do its utmost to serve We are not immune from the impasse of these geopolitical events."Fellow Solomon Islanders, change is coming