John Patteson Oti, sometimes called Patterson Oti, is a politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 of the Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Immigration

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 from May 2006 to 22 December 2007. He is the secretary general of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party

Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party

The Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party is a political party in the Solomon Islands.The party was established on 16 January 2010 by the leader of the Opposition , Manasseh Sogavare, and eight opposition MPs...

 ("Our Party"), which was launched in early 2010.

Oti was a desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1990 and a Provincial Secretary for the Ministry of Provincial Government from 1991 to 1993. He was a political analyst for the government of Prime Minister Francis Billy Hilly

Francis Billy Hilly

Francis Billy Hilly CMG is a Solomon Islands politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 18 June 1993 to 7 November 1994. He represented the Ranogga/Simbo Constituency in the National Parliament from 1976 to 1984, and has represented the constituency again since 1993...

 in 1994, and from 1995 to 1997 he was special secretary to the Leader of the Opposition.

He was first elected to the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands

National Parliament of the Solomon Islands

The National Parliament of Solomon Islands has 50 members, elected for a four year term in 50 single-seat constituencies.It is presided by a Speaker - currently Sir Allan Kemakeza.-Latest elections:-Members:...

 for Temotu Nende Constituency in the August 1997 parliamentary election, and under Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu

Bartholomew Ulufa'alu

Bartholomew Ulufa'alu was the fifth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 27 August 1997 to 30 June 2000....

 he served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from August 1997 to June 2000. In the December 2001 election, he was re-elected to his seat, and he served as Leader of the Opposition Group

Leader of the Opposition (Solomon Islands)

The Leader of the Opposition in Solomon Islands is a Member of Parliament who commands a large minority of his peers, united in loyal opposition to government...

 in Parliament from December 2001 to May 2003. He was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee from 2000 to 2001 and was the Committee's Chairman in 2002.

Oti was subsequently Minister for Communication, Aviation & Meteorology from January 2004 to February 2005 and Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament from February 2005 to December 2005. He was re-elected to his seat in the April 2006 parliamentary election and was again a candidate for the post of Deputy Speaker late in the month, although the post was won by Allan Kemakeza

Allan Kemakeza

Sir Allan Kemakeza KBE was the seventh Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2001 to 2006. He represented Savo/Russel Constituency in the National Parliament of Solomon Islands from 1989 to 2010 and was most recently Minister of Forestry December 2007 to August 2010...

. Under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare

Manasseh Sogavare

Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was the sixth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2007. He has served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul since 1997, and he is currently the Leader of the Opposition.-Biography:Sogavare was Permanent...

, Oti became Foreign Minister for a second time on May 5, 2006.

In mid-August 2006, Oti resigned from the National Party

National Party (Solomon Islands)

The National Party is a political party in the Solomon Islands.At the legislative elections on 5 April 2006, the party won 6.9 % of the vote and 4 out of 50 seats....

.

After Sogavare was defeated in a no-confidence vote in December 2007, Oti was the government's candidate to replace Sogavare as Prime Minister, but he was defeated by opposition candidate Derek Sikua

Derek Sikua

David Derek Sikua served as the ninth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from December 20, 2007 to August 25, 2010. He is a member of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.-Career:Sikua is from Ngalitavethi Village in Guadalcanal Province...

 in the vote held on December 20, receiving 15 votes against 32 for Sikua.

No longer in Parliament following the 2010 general election

Solomon Islands general election, 2010

A general election was held in the Solomon Islands on 4 August 2010. In May 2010, Prime Minister Derek Sikua announced that the election would be held on 4 August, however, this announcement was deemed to be premature, as only the Governor General has the authority to announce the election date...

, Oti considered standing for the position of Speaker of Parliament

Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands

The Speaker of National Parliament is the Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands. The position was established under section 64 of the Constitution of 1978, when the country became independent from the United Kingdom...

 (the Speaker being selected from oustide the assembly), and obtained the support of both the government and the opposition, before unexpectedly withdrawing. He later served as the government's "special envoy" to the Melanesian Spearhead Group

Melanesian Spearhead Group

The Melanesian Spearhead Group is an intergovernmental organization, composed of the four Melanesian states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as well as the FLNKS of New Caledonia. It was founded as a political gathering in 1983...

, then, in September 2011, was appointed High Commissioner

High Commissioner (Commonwealth)

In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...

 (i.e., Ambassador) to Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation is the official radio broadcaster of the Solomon Islands. SIBC is self-defined as a public service broadcaster....

described his appointment as "another demoralising blow to trained career diplomats", as it suggested a tendency to appoint politicians rather than professional diplomats to head diplomatic missions.