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History and Government
History: The island group of which Vanuatu is a part has been settled since BC 500. Up to and beyond the 13th century AD, it was at the heart of the empire of Tonga. During the 19th century, the islands making up Vanuatu (then called the New Hebrides) were settled by British and French missionaries, planters and traders. The UK and France eventually agreed on a condominium over the two islands. After World War II, a complex power struggle began between the indigenous islanders and the dual colonial interests over the future political and economic course of the islands. The constitutional position was settled in 1977, at a conference between British, French and New Hebridean representatives, in Paris; it was agreed that the islands should become fully independent within three years.
At elections held in November 1979, just a few months before scheduled independence, the Vanuaaku Pati (VP) under Walter Lini, an Anglican priest, took a majority in the 46-member parliament. The VP won further elections in November 1983 and December 1987. During this period, Lini adopted radical, sometimes adventurous policies, both at home and abroad. Vanuatu is the only Pacific island to join the Non-Aligned Movement. It is also a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group – together with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands – whose principal aims are to preserve Melanesian cultural traditions and lobby for independence of New Caledonia (Fiji joined the Group in 1996).
This, along with opposition to the French Pacific nuclear tests of the mid-1990s, made for difficult relations with Paris, although these improved somewhat while francophone Maxime Carlot held the premiership.
Lini’s increasingly erratic behaviour led to him being deposed as VP leader by Donald Kolpokas in 1991. However, Lini gained some revenge when the election of the same year returned the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), the long-standing opposition to the VP, as the largest grouping (but short of an overall majority). Led by the aforementioned Maxime Carlot, the UMP formed an alliance with other parties and assorted VP defectors to form a government.
Those developments established a pattern of splits and factionalism that has dogged Vanuatu’s politics ever since. Corruption scandals have also become commonplace, involving leading members of both the VP and UMP. Maxime Carlot served another term as premier following the November 1995 general election but eventually split from the UMP and formed his own, relatively unsuccessful outfit, the Vanuatu Republikan Pati.
Two more administrations, led by VP leader Kolpalkas and Barak Sope – a veteran political figure in Vanuatu with a reputation for dubious business transactions – held office before the most recent poll in April 2002. By this time, Sope, forced out of office due to alleged misuse of government funds (on a scale that could have bankrupted the country), had been replaced by the new VP leader, Edward Napatei. After the closely fought poll, Natapei secured a second term of office.
Government: There is a unicameral parliament with 52 members, elected for four years by popular vote and responsible for legislation. Executive power is the responsibility of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the Prime Minister, who is elected by the parliament. The president, who is Head of State, is elected by an electoral college consisting of the parliament of the heads of the regional councils.
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