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References controlling prisoners. Issues of eco- nomic policy also created challenges Fraenkel, Jonathan, Anthony Reagan, and with Vanuatu’s financial services David Hegarty. 2008. The Dangers of sector coming under increasing pres- Political Party Strengthening Legislation in Solomon Islands. State Society and Society sure, the rising cost of living being felt in Melanesia Working Paper (ssgm) quite strongly, and a proposed increase 2008/2. Canberra: ssgm, The Australian to employment conditions creating National University. uncertainty within the private sector. Ham Lini’s National United Party ISN, Island Sun News. Daily newspaper, Honiara. (nup)–led coalition had taken over in December 2004, following a success- mehrd, Ministry of Education and ful vote of no confidence against the Human Resources Development. 2009. government coalition led by Serge Semi-annual Report, January–July. Vohor’s Union of Moderate Parties mehrd: Honiara. (ump), which had been elected only NEN, National Express News. Tri-weekly five months earlier. Although several newspaper, Honiara. reshuffles took place in the intervening sibc, Solomon Islands Broadcasting years, Lini’s ability to survive to the Corporation. Daily Internet news service, end of Parliament’s four-year term was Honiara. http://www.sibconline.com remarkable. The previous decade had SSN, Solomon Star News. Daily news - seen regular votes of no confidence paper, Honiara. Online at and numerous threats of such votes http://solomonstarnews.com / leading to nine different coalition sto, Solomon Times Online. Daily governments and two snap elections. Internet news service, Honiara. Lini was able to stay in power mainly http://www.solomontimes.com because he refused to take action (ie, hold accountable politicians who were members of the coalition accused of mismanagement, corruption, or misbehavior) or make decisions that Vanuatu could jeopardize the coalition. Main- 2008 was an active year in politics for taining political stability was his prime Vanuatu on a number of levels. Vanu- objective. atu national elections were held in In the lead-up to the national elec- September, followed in December by tion on 2 September 2008, some of provincial council elections in Penama, the loudest voices were urging the Malampa, Shefa, and Tafea, which public to vote for change—to elect served to consolidate the power gained a new, younger group of politicians by various parties in the national as the best way to bring about the elections. Municipalities, which have transformation of Vanuatu politics. been the subject of various allegations As is usually the case in Vanuatu, of mismanagement over the past few voter turnout was high —70.4 percent years, continued to be controversial. of registered voters cast their ballots. The country also had to deal with Considering the fact that voting is not significant governance issues relating compulsory, the regularly high turnout to rising crime levels and difficulties in indicates that democratic practices 468 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) have taken root in Vanuatu, although among the seventeen who contested all is not perfect. In several constituen- the election. However, one from the cies there were accusations of bribery, island of Epi lost her seat in a court which unfortunately has also become challenge in which she was accused of standard in Vanuatu elections. A treating (extending favorable treatment total of seven successful candidates to someone) and a male was returned had their elections overturned by the in a by-election later in the year. courts, leading to by-elections on Epi, In addition to the problem of differ- Tanna, and Efate. There was also entiating between the custom practice confusion with regard to electoral of rewarding one’s supporters and rolls, including reported cases of vot- outright bribery, the results of the elec- ers’ names not having been recorded. tion revealed that several disturbing However, overall, the voting went off trends from past elections continued smoothly. or worsened. Most significant was the Counting of votes for Vanuatu’s ever-increasing number of parties and fifty-two members of Parliament independents who chose to contest proceeded quickly, with unofficial the election—a trend that began in results for most constituencies avail- the late 1980s and 1990s as the major able within several days. Early results political parties began to fragment, in the Port Vila constituency showing leading to the current era of coalition almost certain victory for independent governments. The number of parties candidate Ralph Regenvanu seemed to reached an all-time high in the 2008 indicate that the voters had indeed had election with twenty-eight contest- inaf (“enough” in Bislama, the local ing in varying numbers in Vanuatu’s pidgin), as proclaimed on Regenvanu’s seventeen electoral constituencies. In campaign t-shirts. He went on to addition, the 2008 election saw the win with the largest number of votes highest number of independents ever (1,710) received by any candidate in to contest an election—89 out of the the electoral history of Vanuatu—10.8 total of 345 candidates. percent of the votes in the Port Vila Another aspect of the election constituency. Although two long- process that had not changed was the serving members of Parliament were difficulty faced by politicians in 2008 defeated—Barak Sope, leader of the in forming a viable coalition out of Melanesian Progressive Party (mpp), the fifteen separate political parties representing Efate, and Willie Jimmy and four independents who had won (nup), representing Port Vila—it was seats—the direct result of the problem soon clear that instead of the whole- of too many parties and independents. sale ousting of the old guard as trum- None of the parties had the command- peted by the candidates who had cam- ing numbers required to anchor a paigned for change, the result of the solid alliance. Indeed, even two of the voting was just the opposite. A total larger parties together did not provide of thirty sitting members of Parliament a solid majority, and thus politicians (58 percent) were returned—the high- found themselves competing for the est number ever in an election. individual elected members of the Only two women were elected from smaller parties and independents. pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 469

Following the counting of votes Vanua‘aku Pati and one from the and intense maneuvering among the National United Party who had missed major parties, involving accusations out revolted and joined with the of “member stealing” and exchange Opposition to table another motion of large sums of money to secure of no confidence. In the vote that took support, a coalition between the place on 26 November 2008, three of Vanua‘aku Pati (vp), led by Edward the rebel members of Parliament plus Natapei, and the National United several other independents returned Party, led by former Prime Minis- to support the government coalition, ter Ham Lini, emerged to form the allowing it to survive once again. government after Parliament’s first In an attempt to demonstrate the meeting on 22 September. With a slim strength of the new government coali- 27 to 25-seat majority in the country’s tion following its chaotic birth after 52-seat Parliament, and intense rage the September 2008 election, the three among opposition members who had major parties (vp, nup, and ump) and expected until the last minute to form various smaller parties (Labor Party, the majority, the viability of the gov- Nagriamel Movement, mpp, and Peo- ernment appeared to be at risk. ple’s Progressive Party [ppp]) signed a Indeed, several days later the new new memorandum of understanding in Opposition, headed by the president early January 2009. This preceded the of the Vanuatu Republican Party launching of a document laying out (vrp) and former minister of lands the government’s new, four-year policy in the previous government, Maxime direction. Prime Minister Natapei Carlot Korman, tabled a motion of no announced that, as under his predeces- confidence in the new vp/nup coali- sor and now deputy prime minister, tion. However, in a surprise move—or Ham Lini, the new government would not so surprising, depending on one’s focus on maintaining political stability reading of Vanuatu’s political his- within the coalition in order to survive tory—ump leader Serge Vohor decided in power and achieve its goals (VDP, at the last minute to shift allegiance 2 Feb 2009). and joined the vp/nup alliance, defeat- At the same time, the Opposition ing the no-confidence motion on 3 came together (vrp, ppp, and Green October, claiming he did so to ensure Confederation) supporting Maxime political stability in the country. With Carlot Korman as leader and, later, the strength provided by three major ppp President Sato Kilman (VDP, 2 parties—the vp/nup/ump together March 2009). Surprising to many was controlled twenty-six members—the the decision of newly elected indepen- Honorable Edward Natapei, leader of dent mp Ralph Regenvanu to ally with the Vanua‘aku Pati, was reconfirmed the Opposition, since he had been as prime minister. openly critical of its leader during But the political chaos was not the election campaign vowing never over. Incensed by the reallocation to join forces with him. Regenvanu of ministerial portfolios required to most likely would have said that while accommodate the Union of Moderate he did not support Korman, he was Parties, three members of Natapei’s opposed to all of the major parties and 470 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) preferred not to join them in the gov- reshuffle, bringing several members of ernment. Instead, he has joined with the Vanuatu Republican Party into the the smaller parties—Green Confed- coalition—its president, Maxime Car- eration led by Moana Carcasses, the lot Korman, replaced Wells as Speaker. People’s Progressive Party led by Sato Serge Vohor, ump president, gave up Kilman, and others—to form what is a ministry to accommodate one of the known as the Alliance. vp backbenchers who had failed to get To demonstrate their solidarity, the a portfolio when the government was government coalition partners decided first formed and sided with the Oppo- to run a single candidate in the Epi sition (VDP, 11 June, 12 June 2009). by-election, agreeing to back Leinavao The announcement by the court a few Tasso, the successful vp candidate in days later that the elections of the four the national election who had had Efate members were void, costing the her MP title stripped by a court chal- government three seats, encouraged lenge that her associates had been the Opposition in their challenge of guilty of treating (VDP, 2 Jan 2009). the government. But the government’s What should have been an easy vic- temporary loss in numbers was not tory, however, failed to materialize. enough, and the vote of no confidence The election was won by independent on 16 June failed (VDP, 16 June 2009). candidate Ioan Simon, demonstrating However, other political events that that constituents in Vanuatu can- took place during the second half of not always be counted on to follow 2009 would demonstrate that the blindly the decisions of their leaders coalition was still vulnerable. in far-off Port Vila (VDP, 9 Feb 2009). In August, the five-year term of The by-election for Tanna took place President Kalkot Matas Kelekele came in early March, and four for Efate to an end. As a practicing lawyer and in August (all four seats had been former Supreme Court judge, he had declared vacant in a court challenge). fulfilled his duties without incident but It took eleven months to finalize the alienated some politicians by advocat- election—an unacceptable delay by ing substantial constitutional reform. any standard. For example, he favored replacing While the coalition remained Vanuatu’s Westminster form of gov- intact, tensions within the National ernment with a presidential system, as United Party began to increase over a way to deal with the political insta- the failure of the party president, bility Vanuatu had experienced during Ham Lini, to discipline Minister for the previous decade. In total, there Vanuatu Business James Bule (nup) were eleven candidates: the National over alleged corruption. Three nup United Party backed the reelection of members of Parliament, including the president (who, it should be noted, Speaker George Wells, were expelled is married to Ham Lini’s sister); the from the party and joined the Opposi- Vanua‘aku Pati supported two can- tion. Sensing a chance to unseat the didates, veteran politicians Kalo Nial government, the Opposition tabled from Santo and Iolu Johnson Abbil a vote of no confidence in June (VDP, from Tanna; the Union of Moderate 9 June 2009). Natapei negotiated a Parties proclaimed it was time for pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 471 a woman to become president and Vanuatu Republican Party were also nominated long-time supporter and allocated positions, but, significantly, women’s advocate Yvette Sam; and the National United Party was not the Alliance supported former ump involved in the negotiations and was President Vincent Boulekone. The totally excluded (VDP, 19 Nov 2009). Vanuatu Republican Party did not The position of the National nominate a candidate. The Electoral United Party within the coalition College, which consists of all fifty-two had become an issue several months members of Parliament plus the presi- earlier with the announcement by the dents of the six Provincial Councils, Reserve Bank that so-called custom took two days to come to a decision. currencies—livatu and selmane After several ballots—the vote is (shell money)— could not be used as secret—support began to shift. Rumor national custom currencies, nor could had it that the Vanuatu Republican they be used interchangeably with Party supported the nup nomination, the vatu currency. The use of custom while the Alliance and the Union of currencies has been gaining greater Moderate Parties fell in behind the prominence since the development of Vanua‘aku Pati, giving the victory the “National Self Reliance Strategy to Iollu Johnson Abbil, who won 42 2020,” which was supported by the votes in the last round to 16 for the government through its decision to incumbent, Kalkot Matas Kelekele designate both 2007 and 2008 as a (VDP, 2 Sept, 3 Sept 2009). “Year of the Traditional Economy.” The election of a new Port Vila The particular issue that the Reserve municipal government would also test Bank was responding to arose from the ability of the coalition to work a request by the Vanuatu Indigenous together. All the major parties fielded Peoples’ Forum, which is associated candidates for the 14 councillor posi- with an organization based in the tions with the Alliance and Vanua‘aku northeast of the island of Pentecost Pati each winning 4, the National known as the Melanesian Institute of United Party 3, the Union of Moderate Science, Philosophy, Humanity and Parties 2, and the Vanuatu Republican Technology, founded in 1997 by the Party 1 (VDP, 6 Nov 2009). Negotia- late president, Father Walter Lini. Its tions within the coalition soon reached aim is to promote the development an impasse: the Vanua‘aku Pati model of the Turaga Nation, as the expected to hold the top position of supporters of the institution call their lord mayor, but the four newly elected movement—Raga is the indigenous councillors could not agree between name for the island of Pentecost. The themselves. In the end, the leaders of common term used for this develop- the parties had to meet to negotiate ment model is “custom economy,” and agreed to a formula to allocate which Turaga supporters claim (and the positions—the Alliance was given is generally accepted) sustains the the position of lord mayor, and the 80 percent of the people of Vanuatu Vanua‘aku Pati got the positions of who reside in rural areas. Essential deputy mayor and town clerk. The parts of the system were the estab- Union of Moderate Parties and the lishment of Tanbunia custom bank 472 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) and Tanmarahi reserve system, the and the Vanua‘aku Pati, which could valuing of indigenous currencies, and be detected earlier in the presidential the 1998 declaration of a pig tusk as election and in the negotiations fol- the highest valued custom currency lowing the election of the new Port in Vanuatu. The Vanuatu Indigenous Vila municipal government, precipitat- Peoples’ Forum was planning for the ing a reshuffle of the coalition. Declaration of Custom Economic Prime Minister Natapei removed Independence and had requested the the National United Party and the Government of Vanuatu to recognize Vanuatu Republican Party, whose the custom currencies and provide a members had supported the nup donation in Vanuatu vatu of the cash nominee for president, and brought equivalent that had been deposited in in the Alliance with its fifteen associ- Tanbunia for the celebration—20,000 ated members of Parliament. Natapei livatu or 360 million vatu (VDP, 15 also used the opportunity to remove as Aug 2009). (100 vatu equals approxi- minister of lands renegade VP member mately us$1.00.) Harry Iauko, who had been brought Despite the negative position taken back in the last reshuffle and had been by the Reserve Bank, the Council of accused of corruption over land sales. Ministers had, in fact, agreed to make The head of the Alliance, Sato Kill- a contribution based on a proposal man (ppp), was made deputy prime presented to it by Deputy Prime minister and given two additional Minister Ham Lini (nup)—brother portfolios. The Union of Moder- of the late Father Walter Lini and ate Parties came out best—clearly a of Hilda Lini, one of the leaders in reward for the party’s loyalty—acquir- the Turanga Movement. This was ing two additional portfolios, for done, however, without the presence a total of four. In the last reshuffle, of Minister of Finance Sela Molisa Serge Vohor had given up a portfolio (vp), who was away at the time and to help facilitate the new arrangement refused to sign off on the arrangement and had supported the vp nominee for on his return. In a surprise comment, president. The new coalition consisted Molisa blamed the problem on the of the Vanua‘aku Pati, Union of Mod- “legacy of the late Prime Minister erate Parties, and Alliance, supported Father Walter Lini that split the vp [in as well by various independents and 1991] . . . the Prime Minister just had several vrp and nup members who to remove the National United Party refused to go along with their party because it is clear the issue (custom leaders (VDP, 20 Nov 2009). economic independence) is still alive” In a surprise move, believed by (VDP, 21 Nov 2009). While accept- many as an attempt to protect his ing the importance of the custom position as Speaker, Maxime Carlot economy for rural Ni-Vanuatu, Molisa Korman (vrp)—his party having is far more inclined to believe that just been expelled from the coali- Vanuatu’s future lies in integrating tion—countered by declaring that the into the global economy. The effect of prime minister had vacated his seat in this decision was to create a fatal rift Parliament. Natapei was attending an between the National United Party overseas conference and, the Speaker pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 473 alleged, failed to get his permission the police. By the end of June 2008, to be absent from an extraordinary the control of the Correctional Ser- session scheduled at the same time. vices Department was returned to the Natapei appealed to the Supreme police and an order given, permitting Court, and the chief justice ruled that them to be armed during the recapture the Speaker’s decision to unseat the of prisoners. But this change did not prime minister was “unconstitutional improve the situation, and in Decem- and of no legal effect” (VDP, 7 Dec ber a final mass escape occurred, fol- 2009). The saga continued, however, lowing the release by the prisoners of with the prime minister facing a vote a document entitled “Prisons Report of no confidence on his return on 10 2008: Vanuatu’s Notorious Prison in December 2009, moved by the now Disguise” (Prisoners 2008). Vanuatu’s leader of the Opposition, Ham Lini; prisons have in the past been the the motion was defeated. subject of an Amnesty International It was not surprising that the gov- Report documenting human rights ernment reacted straight away with abuses (ai 1998). a motion of no confidence against On 19 December 2008, prisoners Speaker Korman—the Speaker is set fire to their bedding, overpowered elected by the Parliament from among their guards, and escaped en masse its members. It was intended that the (VDP, 20 Dec 2008). Shortly afterward, vote would take place on the same day two members of Parliament represent- as the vote of no confidence against ing Port Vila—Moana Carcasses and the prime minister, but Korman ruled Ralph Regenvanu, both members of that it should be delayed for a week. the Alliance—were arrested and spent Through various manipulations of a night in jail for allegedly aiding the standing orders, he was able to thwart prisoners in their escape. For several three more attempts to unseat him. weeks prior, both had spoken out The issue was not resolved before strongly against prisoner abuse and the end of the parliamentary session the poor conditions of the prison, and (VDP, 16 Dec, 18 Dec 2009). In early when the mass escape took place, they January 2010, he resigned and was organized a safe haven in the Chiefs’ replaced by former Speaker George Nakamal (meeting house), where Wells. the prisoners could assemble and be Rising crime rates in Vila and protected from feared police violence. Luganville—two murders reported on Carcasses and Regenvanu were Efate and levels of theft and violence charged with accessory after the fact, increasing—became dominant issues harboring or assisting a prisoner, and throughout 2008 and 2009. The obstructing a police officer on duty. escape from custody of a number of Conviction would have led to their dangerous prisoners focused much of losing their seats in Parliament and the public outcry on the failures of the prohibition for standing again in an Vanuatu Correctional Services Depart- election for a period of ten years. The ment, which had been established in government was clearly keen to see the 2006 when responsibility for manage- two Opposition members convicted, ment of prisons was transferred from but the case against them was eventu- 474 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010) ally dropped for lack of evidence in during his recapture. According to the late September (VDP, 26 Sept 2009). pathologist’s report, Bule had died as The most pressing issue faced by the result of “extensive blunt force” the new government in 2009 was having been applied to his body. A how to deal with the aftermath of the New Zealand judge on secondment prison riot. Opinion was split—little to Vanuatu, Nevin Dawson, was sympathy for prisoners convicted of appointed coroner to investigate the violent crimes, but at the same time case (VDP, 24 April 2009). During anger at the inability of the govern- hearings that followed, Judge Daw- ment to protect the public. The main son expressed his concern about the focus of discontent was the Cor- lack of cooperation he was receiving rectional Services, as articulated on from police officers involved in the several occasions in strongly worded case, accusing them of “making up comments in the Vanuatu Daily Post evidence” (VDP, 27 Nov 2009). The (VDP). The editor of the newspaper, appointment of Peter Bong as police Marc Neil-Jones, wrote a strong edito- commissioner—he had been suspended rial after the prison riot calling for as acting commissioner following the Acting Director of the Correctional attack on Daily Post editor Marc Niel- Services Joshua Bong to step down Jones—astounded many and raised or be suspended until the results of a serious questions about the willingness government inquiry had been com- of authorities in the Vanuatu govern- pleted. In reaction, on Saturday, 17 ment to deal with the serious problem January 2009, members of the Cor- of violence within the police forces rectional Services assaulted Neil-Jones (VDP, 30 Sept 2009). Insuring that the in his office, leaving him with multiple rule of law applies to everyone—indi- bruises and abrasions. The officers vidual Ni-Vanuatu, politicians, and suspected of the assault have yet to be members of the security forces—is an brought to justice (VDP, 19 Jan 2009). issue that the government has yet to The appointment of a new acting adequately address and will continue director of the Correctional Services, to be an issue in years to come. veteran public servant Mark Bebe, The resurgence of the old Anglo- began to turn things around—at least phone / Francophone rivalry, an issue with regard to prison facilities. The thought by many to have faded away, New Zealand government reaffirmed made a surprising resurgence during its commitment to funding the con- 2009. At the end of January, just prior struction of a new prison and gave to the start of the new academic year, an additional 45 million vatu for the Minister of Education Charlot Salwai, refurbishing of existing facilities. ump member from Pentecost and him- However, issues relating to the self a Francophone, announced that quality of policing remained unre- he was canceling the scholarships for solved. At the end of March 2009, most of the Ni-Vanuatu Francophone the public was shocked to learn of the students studying in Noumea at the death of a prisoner, John Bule, who Université de la Nouvelle- Calédonie, had escaped at the time of the prison citing poor results due to lack of fire, been recaptured, escaped again, discipline and inadequate academic and died in the hands of the police preparation. The minister was signal- pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 475 ing his belief that Francophones were states clearly that “the principal lan- educationally disadvantaged and guages of education are English and announcing his commitment to bring French” (Article 3[1]) and is silent on about change in the country’s educa- the issue of bilingualism, the proposed tion system to correct the situation. change appears to be unconstitutional. Minister of Finance Sela Molisa (vp)— Moreover, the constitution states that an Anglophone—responded positively “a citizen of Vanuatu may obtain, by getting the Council of Ministers’ in the official language that he uses, approval for the allocation of 101 mil- the services which he may rightfully lion vatu of Chinese government aid expect from the administration of the money for the construction of facilities Republic of Vanuatu” (Article 64 [1]). for Francophone students at the Port Denial of the right to be educated in Vila campus of the University of the English would be a clear violation of South Pacific (VDP, 10 Feb 2009). the rights of the individual under the In September, as part of the Constitution. The fact that the min- Ministry of Education’s reform pro- ister of Education is a ump member posals, a new language policy was may explain why there has been no introduced that aroused significant comment from the government as a negative response. In place of the whole on this very sensitive issue; at existing dual system of education— this point there is clearly no interest separate English- and French-medium on the part of the vp-led government schools—the new policy, designed to create instability within the coali- to create bilingual citizens, proposed tion. It is fascinating to note that that a single system be developed in thirty years after independence, the which all students would be taught old political rivalry created by the two in French up to class 8 with the slow colonial powers—Great Britain and introduction of English. The argument France — continues to plague Vanu- was that since French was suppos- atu. Anglophone and Francophone edly harder to learn than English, and politicians find it easier today to work because of the link between English together, but the issue of language has and Vanuatu’s lingua franca, Bislama, not been resolved and will continue to every child should first learn French. be part of the political debate for years What would happen after class 8 was to come. not clear. Since only a modest percent- howard van trease age of students go on to high school, the proposal appeared to many like the old French Condominium plan Special thanks to Anita Jowitt, who to transform Vanuatu (then the New Hebrides) into a French-speaking contributed to the 2008 section of this country. The impact this would have review. on children whose parents had chosen to have them educated in the English system led to strong criticism at sev- References eral public meetings in Port Vila and ai, Amnesty International. 1998. Vanuatu: around the country. No Safe Place for Prisoners. September. ai Since the Vanuatu Constitution Index: asa 44 / 01 / 98. 476 the contemporary pacific • 22:2 (2010)

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