Lillian Maefai was asked by his constituents to consider running for parliament in the by-election.
However, she was eventually persuaded and was easily elected, receiving close to half the votes in a field of nine candidates.
Taking her Oath of Allegiance on 18 December 2019, she became the third woman in the 50-member 2019-2023 parliament, joining Freda Soria Comua and Lanelle Tanangada.
[1][2] Lillian Maefai lost the East Makira Constituency seat in the 2024 National General Elections.
She was replaced by Franklyn Wasi who was a consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization country office in Solomon Island, a career public servant and former lecturer at the Solomon Islands National University.