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| Vanuatu
History |
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The island group of
which Vanuatu is a part has been established since BC 500. Up to
and beyond the 13th century AD, it was at the core 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,
traders and planters. The United Kingdom and France eventually agreed
on a condominium over the 2 islands. After World War II, a intricate
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 French, British and New Hebridean representatives
in Paris, it was agreed that the islands should become fully independent
within 3 years.
At elections held in November 1979, just a few months before planned
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, occasionally 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 main aims are to preserve Melanesian cultural
traditions and lobby for independence of New Caledonia (Vanuatu
joined the Group in 1996). It was also strongly opposed to French
nuclear tests in the Pacific during the mid 1990’s. Lini was
ultimately deposed as VP leader in 1991 and the VP lost office shortly
afterwards. Vanuatu’s other major political party, the Union
of Moderate Parties (UMP), took office under the leadership of the
francophone Maxime Carlot.
Carlot served
2 terms before the Vanuaaku Pati recovered power in 1999. Edward
Napatei of the VP party won the poll held in 2002. Then, in July
2004, Serge Vohor once again became Prime Minister (for the 3rd
time), only to be ousted on a vote of no confidence in December
2004, following a controversial move of Vohor's part to attempt
to switch diplomatic recognition from Chinese to Taiwan without
even 1st (supposedly) consulting his ministers. He was quickly replaced
by Han Lini, who speedily revoked the agreements with Taiwan that
had been signed. Kalkot Mataskelekele's post as President has been,
by comparison, extremely stable. However, parties in Vanuatu have
been subject to splits and factional disputes and these have dogged
Vanuatu’s politics throughout the last decade. (Carlot left
the UMP to form his own, relatively unsuccessful outfit, the Vanuatu
Republikan Pati.)
Corruption scandals
have also become commonplace, involving leading members of both
the VP and UMP. (Ex VP Prime Minister Barak Sope was jailed in 2002
for 3 years.) Furthermore, after developing an offshore financial
services industry, Vanuatu found itself on an international
blacklist of countries which had failed to tackle money
laundering. In 2003, it was removed from the list however the reputation
has withheld. |
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