James Tora

Who is James Tora?

James Tora is a Solomon Islands politician.

After studying at the Honiara Technical Institute, he worked as Supervising Manager for Student Welfare Services at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education. He then began a career in national politics, when he stood successfully for Parliament in the December 1, 2004 bye-election in the Ugi/Ulawa constituency. He was re-elected in the 2006 and 2010 general elections.

He first entered Cabinet in March 2005 when Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza appointed him Minister for National Reconciliation, Unity and Peace, in the wake of the severe ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal. He held the post until February 2006, when he was appointed Minister for Mines and Energy. Following the April 2006 general election, he became Minister for Infrastructure and Development in Prime Minister Snyder Rini's short-lived Cabinet. Rini resigned the following month, under public pressure and in the face of an impending motion of no confidence, and Tora found himself on the Opposition benches, where he remained until Rini's successor, Manasseh Sogavare, was himself ousted in a vote of no confidence in December 2007.