Alfred Maseng
Encyclopedia
Alfred Maseng Nalo was a politician from Vanuatu
. He served as foreign minister
of Vanuatu from 1995 until 1996. He was also the president of Vanuatu
for two brief periods lasting about a month each, during 1994 and 2004.
Maseng had been acting president
of Vanuatu from January 30 to March 2, 1994, while he was speaker
of parliament
and an acting president was needed in the interval between the expiration of a president's term and the next presidential election. In the 2004 presidential elections, Maseng was one of 32 candidates, and a two-thirds majority in parliament was needed to win. Balloting started on April 8, but this session and another session on April 10 failed to result in the required majority for any candidate. In the fourth round of balloting on April 12 (Easter Monday), Maseng defeated the government's candidate, Kalkot Mataskelekele
, by a vote of 41 to 16, and was sworn in immediately. He was removed as president on May 11, 2004, by the Supreme Court
, which ruled that the election was invalid because of a rule banning people with criminal record
s from being elected. It had been revealed that he was serving a suspended sentence on corruption charges, including receiving stolen goods.
He was a member of the conservative
Francophone
Union of Moderate Parties
. He died at a hospital in northern Vanuatu several months after his removal from the presidency. His age and cause of death have not been reported.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. He served as foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Vanuatu from 1995 until 1996. He was also the president of Vanuatu
President of Vanuatu
The President of Vanuatu is the head of state of Vanuatu. The President is elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils.The President's role is mostly ceremonial...
for two brief periods lasting about a month each, during 1994 and 2004.
Maseng had been acting president
Acting president
An Acting President is a person who temporarily fills the role of an organization's or country's president, either when the real president is unavailable or when the post is vacant .-See also:*Acting *Acting President of Pakistan*Acting President of Malta*Acting President of...
of Vanuatu from January 30 to March 2, 1994, while he was speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of parliament
Parliament of Vanuatu
The Parliament is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Vanuatu.It was established by chapter 4 of the 1980 Constitution, upon Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom....
and an acting president was needed in the interval between the expiration of a president's term and the next presidential election. In the 2004 presidential elections, Maseng was one of 32 candidates, and a two-thirds majority in parliament was needed to win. Balloting started on April 8, but this session and another session on April 10 failed to result in the required majority for any candidate. In the fourth round of balloting on April 12 (Easter Monday), Maseng defeated the government's candidate, Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele Mauliliu was President of Vanuatu from 16 August 2004 to 16 August 2009.He was educated at Scotch College Melbourne the University of Papua New Guinea. He is a lawyer from the national capital, Port Vila, and is the first Head of State of Vanuatu to have a university degree...
, by a vote of 41 to 16, and was sworn in immediately. He was removed as president on May 11, 2004, by the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
, which ruled that the election was invalid because of a rule banning people with criminal record
Criminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
s from being elected. It had been revealed that he was serving a suspended sentence on corruption charges, including receiving stolen goods.
He was a member of the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
Union of Moderate Parties
Union of Moderate Parties
The Union of Moderate Parties is a conservative Francophone political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 7 out of 52 seats...
. He died at a hospital in northern Vanuatu several months after his removal from the presidency. His age and cause of death have not been reported.