pol i t ical reviews • melanesia 467 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.