References Tinued Loyal Service

, . THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC· FALL 1993 and their people have blood relatives in by the prime minister, that his govern Bougainville. The dialogue between ment was favoring French-educated ni government officials of both countries Vanuatu over their English-educated was expected to resume in early 1993. counterparts (see vw, IIJan 1992, 7; PR MIKE WATE 2 April 1992, 3-4; 16 April 1992, 6). The large majority ofpublic servants retained their positions subject to con References tinued loyal service. In late January, Foreign Minister CBS!, Central Bank of Solomon Islands. 1991. Annual Report. Honiara. Serge Vohor led a delegation to New Caledonia, in the first overseas visit IBP, Islands Business Pacific. Monthly. made on behalf ofthe new govern Suva. ment. The delegation discussed eco PIM, Pacific Islands Monthly. Suva. nomic cooperation and cultural exchange, and confirmed acceptance 5N, Solomon Nius. Weekly. Honiara: Gov ernment Information Service. of an offer ofeducational aid. Earlier in the month New Caledonia had 55, Solomon Star. Weekly. Honiara. responded promptly with relief aid 5V, Solomon Voice. Weekly. Honiara. following the impact on Vanuatu of Cyclone Betsy. During the visit New Caledonian conservative leader Jacques Lafleur rebuffed claims that VANUATU New Caledonia wished to interfere in Defying rumors of imminent collapse, Vanuatu's internal affairs and con the coalition government assembled firmed French recognition ofVanuatu after the December 1991 elections held as a sovereign and independent state together throughout 1992. This gov (vw, 25 Jan 1992, 12). Later in the year ernment, which embodied a pragmatic Vanuatu foreshadowed the opening of alliance between the mainly franco a consulate in Noumea. phone-based Union ofModerate Par Prime Minister Maxime Carlot had ties and the mainly anglophone and the custom name ofKorman bestowed Anglican-based National United Party, by the people of his home village of grappled with Vanuatu's economic Erakor on Efate in mid-February, and management and development prob became known as Maxime Carlot Kor lems. It recast the country's external man. Prime Minister Korman made relations, restoring relations with official visits to Australia in March, to France while maintaining mostly con New Zealand in April, and to France in structive links with other powers, May. In Australia and New Zealand he despite squabbles with Australia. confirmed that his government, The new government moved quickly although keen to establish good rela to replace about thirty senior officials tions with France and end long-stand regarded as too closely associated with ing conflicts and bitterness, also the previous administration. The wished to maintain constructive rela replacements sparked claims, denied tions with Australia and New Zealand. POLITICAL REVIEWS But Australia-Vanuatu relations tutional coup in Vanuatu in December worsened in July, when the Vanuatu 1988, during which he had attempted government expelled James Pearson, to install his custom nephew Barak an Australian diplomat. It claimed that Sope as prime minister (see Hen he had interfered improperly in ningham, 1989, 188; Connell, 1989, Vanuatu's internal affairs by speaking 164-165). The selection process was strongly at a Union of Moderate Par also contentious: after the surprise ties meeting, at which he was present withdrawal of the strongly favored as an observer, about the negative alternative candidate, Sokomanu was implications for business confidence of left as the only horse in the race. One proposed new legislation giving the Islander delegate quipped that the pro government summary powers to cess reminded him ofprocedures for revoke commercial licenses. the election of the president in the for The diplomat may have been out mer Soviet Union. spoken, even abrasive. Yet the Austra Some Vanuatu leaders reportedly lian government believed that the believed that Australia's opposition to expulsion order was an overreaction. Sokomanu's candidature was "pay Some observers thought the expulsion back" for the expulsion ofthe Austra was partly motivated by the Union of lian diplomat in July. For his part, the Moderate Parties' animosity toward newly appointed secretary-general Australia dating back to Australian publicly accused Australia in particu diplomatic support for the "Anglo lar, as well as other donor countries, of phone" nationalist movement in the having a "colonial club" mentality (IBP, lead-up to independence in 1980. The Nov 1992, 23). Australian government responded by Whereas relations with Australia cancelling official ship visits to were at times difficult, those with Vanuatu. Routine port calls continued, France were warm and positive. Prime however, as did the provision ofAus Minister Korman's delegation returned tralian aid, and prospects seemed rea from a visit to France in May, as the sonable for the return of relations to government newspaper put it, with "its normal after some months. pockets full" of undertakings to pro Bilateral tensions resurfaced in vide aid (vw, 30 May 1992,10-11). October, if briefly, over the election of France wrote off the debts owed to it former Vanuatu President George Ati by Vanuatu, reestablished a substantial Sokomanu as secretary-general of the aid program, and undertook to send an South Pacific Commission. Australia ambassador to reside in Port Vila, fill held strong reservations about his ing a post left vacant since the expul appointment. It thought that despite sion of the last incumbent in October his merits and experience he lacked the 1987 for alleged political interference modern management skills and exper (allegations that were later shown to be tise required to update and reform the unfounded). commission's administration. Doubts France's aid initiatives included edu also existed about his judgment, given cational aid to support the study of his involvement in the abortive consti- French, assistance with the surveillance THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. FALL 1993 ofVanuatu's exclusive economic zone, death and much damage). On Efate, and the provision, in part in coopera on which Vila is located, the village of tion with New Zealand, of television to Erakor accepted the compensation Vanuatu. While pleased to see bilateral payment. The chief ofPango village relations return to normal and keen to also accepted the payment, but was see a more equitable balance between criticized by some fellow villagers. the Anglophone and Francophone edu Some of the villagers claimed that the cational systems, the socialist govern sum offered was insufficient relative to ment in Paris proceeded carefully. In the funds allocated to Erakor and Hira, discussions with Vanuatu's leaders while others argued that the lands French representatives emphasized that should be leased to the municipality, there were limits to the amount of aid rather than ceded permanently. This France would be able to provide and view was also held in Hira village, on the extent to which France wished where the people refused the proposed to become involved in Vanuatu's settlement and called for the payment affairs. It is not certain whether a con ofrents under leasing arrangements servative French government would that would recognize their ancestral show similar caution. claims to the land (vw, 25 July 1992, 6). France's improved relations with the The Korman government drafted island countries, following the negotia legislation empowering the govern tion in mid-1988 of an interim settle ment in certain circumstances to ment in New Caledonia, smoothed the acquire land from customary landown way for the Korman government to ers in return for compensation, in participate in the Melanesian Spear order to encourage productive invest head Group. On 29 July Vanuatu ment in agriculture. President Fred hosted a special meeting of the group in Timakata refused to sign the legislation Vila, after earlier meetings had been on the grounds that it was potentially cancelled because of tensions between in conflict with the constitution. Along Papua New Guinea and Solomon with other controversial draft legisla Islands over the Bougainville secession tion, including that providing for the ist crisis (PR, 30 July 1992, 1-2; 20 summary cancellation of business August 1992, 6; vw, I Aug 1992,7). licenses and that pertaining to the Vanuatu was able to play the role of organization oftelevision and broad honest broker, encouraging a measure casting, it was referred to the chief jus ofreconciliation between the adversa tice for his adjudication (IBP, Oct 1992, nes. 18). The chief justice ruled that the The question ofthe rights of tradi land acquisition act was indeed consti tionallandowners to land in the urban tutional, but found that the other legis areas of Port Vila and Luganville lation was not (PR, 16 Nov 1992, I). (Santo Town) resurfaced in July when In May the Vanuatu Christian the government offered compensation Council attacked polygamous prac payments to the people ofthe villages tices, citing the numerous wives of sev concerned. (In May 1988 this issue had enty-seven-year-old Jimmy Moli helped spark rioting in Vila, with one Stephens, a leader ofthe abortive POLITICAL REVIEWS Espiritu Santo secession attempt in government's initiatives had the sup 1980, who was released from jail in port ofthe majority ofthe people, and August 1991. However, the chief justice that his administration had room for noted that polygamy did not constitute all educated and skilled citizens,

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