544 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) -over-judicial-independence-in-timor-leste/ earlier in 2014 after the usual quiet [accessed 13 March 2015] Christmas/New Year holiday period, Scheiner, Charles. 2015. Can the due to the election of a new Muni- Petroleum Fund Exorcise the Resource cipal Council, scheduled for 7 Janu- Curse from Timor-Leste? Paper posted at ary. The vote was significant, since it http://www.laohamutuk.org/econ/exor/ was to be based on an amendment to 14ExorcisePaper.htm the Municipalities Act (Municipali- Ximenes, Valentim. 2010. Policy For- ties [Amendment] Act 11 of 2013), mulation on Local Government Reform approved by Parliament the previ- in Timor-Leste. In Locating Democracy: ous year, which guaranteed that 30 Representation, Elections and Governance to 34 percent of municipal council in Timor-Leste, edited by Steven Farram, seats were to be reserved for women 9–19. Darwin: Charles Darwin University. (Van Trease 2014, 545). The new law Yoder, Laura S Meitzner. 2015. Excep- applies to the two existing municipal tional Erasure: Making Etic and Emic councils in Vanuatu—Port Vila and Sense of Fantastical Development Schemes Luganville—and any future municipal in the Oecusse Enclave. Conference paper councils that might be established. The presented at “Co-habitations and Power procedure subsequently approved by Dynamics: Land, Exchange, Gover- the Council of Ministers allows voters nance; Timor-Leste in Context.” Lisbon, in each municipal ward (five in Port January. 19–24 Vila, for a total of seventeen seats) two votes—one for a general list consisting of both male and female candidates and a second for a list reserved for Vanuatu female candidates only. In many ways, 2014 in Vanuatu was While interest seemed high, voter much like any other year: periods turnout was low, common for munici- of political instability with rumored pal elections in Vanuatu, with only 35 votes of no confidence, one leading percent of the 28,691 registered voters to a change of government; accusa- casting their ballots. The counting of tions of fraud and corruption; and votes for the general seats is based on court challenges. At the same time, a system of proportional representa- there were periods of relative calm and tion reflecting the number of candi- moments of proud achievement with dates fielded by the different parties, the introduction of a new system to while the seats reserved for women elect municipal councils that guaran- are determined by first past the post— tees women a third of the seats and one seat for each of the five wards. the smooth election of Vanuatu’s The results reflected those of the Port eighth president, and celebration when Vila constituency in the 2012 general Vanuatu was finally connected to the election, when the parties then in Southern Cross undersea cable, pro- Opposition—now the current govern- viding a new level of communication ment—dominated. The Vanua‘aku to the rest of the world. Pati (vp) won 5 seats, Green Confed- Compared to previous years, the eration 5, Union of Moderate Parties population of Port Vila woke up a bit (ump) 4, Graon mo Jastis Pati (gjp) 2, political reviews • melanesia 545 and there was one independent (VDP, The election was indeed revolutionary 18 Jan 2014; Republic of Vanuatu, in Vanuatu’s electoral history and a Official Gazette). first among Pacific Island countries as The ump, vp, and gjp signed a a whole. memorandum of understanding to run Except for the National United the Municipal Council (VDP, 20 Jan Party (nup), the Opposition did not 2014). One of the ump councilors, get involved in the municipal elec- Ulrich Sumptoh, defeated a Green can- tion, but it had not gone to sleep. didate for the position of mayor. This By mid-February, rumors began to was not surprising given the failure of surface of an impending motion of the Greens (led by then Prime Minister no confidence against the Carcasses and Member of Parliament [mp] for government (VDP, 17 Feb 2014). The Port Vila Moana Carcasses) to follow last such motion had occurred in July through on a preelection agreement 2013—tabled by the then leader of whereby the gjp would forgo running the Opposition, Ham Lini—but was candidates for the general seats in the dismissed on technical grounds relat- southern ward in return for the Greens ing to the validity of signatures (Van not running a candidate for the wom- Trease 2014, 548). With a reported an’s reserved seat. The Greens, in fact, 27 out of 52 mps having signed the ran an independent candidate on the motion for an extraordinary session to general list, who won the seat, costing be convened, the government appeared the gjp an expected victory (Repub- to be under threat with only 24 mps lic of Vanuatu, Official Results). The on its side (VDP, 18 Feb 2014). (Note failure of the Green Confederation that the Speaker, who is an elected mp, to honor this agreement with gjp on does not vote unless there is a tie or in municipal-level politics had a carry- the case of the actual election of prime over effect nationally. It signaled the minister.) perception that the leaders of these Up to this time, government sup- two parties were no longer as close as port had been quite solid with a total they once appeared to be. of 36 mps out of 52, comprising basi- There was no evidence of any reluc- cally two blocs—the Carcasses group tance to accept the new voting system, and a group led by Edward Natapei, and therefore, for the first time in deputy prime minister and leader of Vanuatu’s electoral history, thousands the Vanua‘aku Pati. In addition to the of both men and women voted for and vp, the Natapei group consisted of elected multiple female candidates to mps from the gjp, ump, and Mela- political office. It should be noted that nesian Progressive Party (mpp), none women do not use their numerical of whom, it was reported in a press power to unite in support of female release, had signed the motion of no candidates but rather seem to follow confidence. the men in their families. As a result, The problem for the government since independence, only five women arose when 11 mps who had been have been elected to Parliament and part of the Carcasses group switched a similar number to the municipal sides and formally reconciled with councils of Port Vila and Luganville. the Opposition. Included were mem- 546 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) bers representing the Iauko Group, United Party, Reunification of Move- Nagriamel, Natatok, and the Vanu- ment for Change, Vanuatu Republi- atu Republican Party, as well as an can Party, Vanuatu Progressive Party, independent. The Opposition at that Nagriamel, People’s Progressive Party, point had comprised 16 members Iauko Group, Hope, and Natatok and was led by Ham Lini, leader of (VDP, 3 March 2014). the National United Party, as well as Rumors of yet another move mps from the People’s Progressive against the government became reality Party, Reunification of Movement for when a motion of no confidence was Change, Vanuatu Liberal Democratic tabled during the second week of May, Party, and an independent. lodged by the leader of the Opposi- It was reported that the eleven tion, Ham Lini, and the deputy leader disaffected mps had decided to move of the Opposition, Sato Kilman. It against the government because was signed by thirteen mps, all from Carcasses had failed to follow through the Opposition, and was scheduled on undertakings he made the previous for debate on the afternoon of 15 year. He had not supported a prom- May. Six reasons were given for the ised increase of mp allocations from motion, which accused the prime 4 million vatu to 10 million (us$1.00 minister of reckless financial policies averaged around 96.8 vatu [vt] in “with the potential to destroy the 2014), given to mps to fund projects country’s foreign reserves and import in their own constituencies, which cover in the near future . [that he] he later denied, and had not fairly is gambling the future of the country distributed roofing iron given by the on questionable schemes . without Chinese government to Carcasses’s the required due diligence,” such as Green Confederation (VDP, 26 Feb the ciip scheme [Capital Investment 2014). Immigration Plan, designed to sell Realizing they did not have the permanent residence visas to wealthy numbers to survive a no-confidence Chinese], real estate deals and the vote, the government boycotted the proposed international airport. He extraordinary session of Parliament was also accused of allowing the that was scheduled for 24 February. “deterioration of the health services At a press conference on the same throughout the rural areas” and of day, Prime Minister Carcasses made becoming “dictatorial” toward key an offer of four ministerial portfo- government institutions and “inter- lios to members of the Opposition fering with the Public Service Com- bloc, which was initially rejected but mission to promote his political accepted a few days later, returning supporters” (VDP, 10 May 2014). the government to a majority of 28 In a press conference on the day with the Opposition at 23. Realizing before the impending vote, Carcasses they no longer had the numbers, the rejected all the allegations leveled Opposition withdrew the motion of against him, and Deputy Prime no confidence (VDP, 27 Feb 2014). A Minister Edward Natapei attempted total of nine political parties remained to assuage rumors that his own united in opposition: the National Vanua‘aku Pati was backing the political reviews • melanesia 547 motion.