Edward Natapei
Encyclopedia
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki (born 17 July 1954) is a politician from Vanuatu
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 was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs
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...

 briefly in 1991, the acting 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...

 from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 (during a time in which he was the Speaker 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 Deputy Prime Minister. He is the President of the Vanua'aku Pati
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....

, a socialist, Anglophone
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world consists of those countries or regions that use the English language to one degree or another. For more information, please see:Lists:* List of countries by English-speaking population...

 political party.

Politics

Natapei was first elected to Parliament in 1983. In 1996, he was elected as Speaker of Parliament, and in 1999 he was elected as President of Vanua'aku Pati. In a parliamentary vote on 25 November 1999, Natapei was a candidate for the position of Prime Minister, but was defeated by Barak Sopé
Barak Sopé
Barak Tame Sopé Mautamata is a politician from Vanuatu. He is the leader of the Melanesian Progressive Party and was, until 2008, a member of the ni-Vanuatu parliament from the island of Efate...

, receiving 24 votes against 28 for Sope. When Sopé lost a vote of no confidence, Natapei became Prime Minister on 13 April 2001, receiving 27 votes in parliament, with one vote against him. He retained the position after the May 2002 election. Even though his party performed poorly in the July 2004 election, he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament for Port Vila Constituency with the highest number of votes. He supported Ham Lini
Ham Lini
Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...

 for the post of Prime Minister, but Lini was defeated; however, Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...

 was ousted in a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...

 and Ham Lini was elected Prime Minister. Being Vanua'aku Party President entitled Natapei to the post of Speaker of the House, which he declined and relegated to Sam Dan Avock, who was a Party Executive Member.

Natapei became Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities in the Lini-led government in July 2005. A split in Vanua'aku Pati was resolved in August 2005, and Natapei was re-elected as its President, receiving 124 votes against 67 for Sela Molisa
Sela Molisa
Sela Molisa is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is currently a member of the Parliament of Vanuatu, and was briefly Minister for Trade in Serge Vohor's Cabinet from April to May 2011...

. In late July 2007 he became Minister of Public Utilities again, replacing Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...

, as well as becoming Deputy Prime Minister.

Second time as Prime Minister (since 2008)

Natapei was elected Prime Minister on 22 September 2008, by the Parliament of Vanuatu
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....

 after three weeks of negotiations following the country's September 2nd general election
Vanuatuan general election, 2008
Parliamentary elections were held in Vanuatu on September 2, 2008. In July, the Melanesian Progressive Party requested that they be postponed, contesting the constitutionality of the Peoples Representation Act No. 33 of 2007, which allegedly enabled voters in certain constituencies to vote in two...

. Natapei received 27 of the 52 votes in Parliament to become Prime Minister for a second term. He narrowly beat his nearest opponent, Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...

, another former Vanuatu Prime Minister and the leader of the Vanuatu Republican Party
Vanuatu Republican Party
The Vanuatu Republican Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 7 out of 52 seats. Its leader is Maxime Carlot Korman, who was previously a member of the Union of Moderate Parties and had served as Prime Minister of Vanuatu while a...

, who captured 25 votes in Parliament. Natapei succeeded Ham Lini
Ham Lini
Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...

 as Prime Minister and headed a new coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...

 encompassing his own Vanua'aku Pati
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....

, as well as Lini's National United Party
National United Party (Vanuatu)
The Vanuatu National United Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 8 out of 52 seats. It is a social democratic party which receives most of its support from English speakers...

, independents and several smaller political parties, such as Namangi Aute
Namangi Aute
The Namangi Aute is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 6 July 2004, the party won 1 out of 52 seats....

.

Natapei pledged to continue the policies and reforms of the outgoing Lini government. He announced that some of his government's primary policies would include transparency
Transparency (social)
Transparency is a general quality. It is implemented by a set of policies, practices and procedures that allow citizens to have accessibility, usability, utility, understandability, informativeness and auditability of information and process held by centers of authority...

, good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...

 and fighting corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

.

Opposition leader Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...

 attempted a vote of no confidence motion just two days after Natapei became Prime Minister. The Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...

, led by Korman, claimed that two MPs had defected from Natapei coalition and were now supporting Korman. However, the Speaker of the Parliament
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...

 George Wells
George Wells
George Wells may refer to:* George Albert Wells , Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck, University of London* George H. Wells , American soldier, lawyer and politician* George Wells , Anglican bishop in Canada...

 rejected Korman's motion against Natapei on a technicality saying that one of the two MPs in question had not withdrawn their support for Natapei's government. A no-confidence vote was nevertheless held on 3 October 2008, but the motion was defeated, with 20 votes in favor and 31 votes against. Because Natapei's government won the vote by a substantial margin, it was expected that the political situation would be stabilized as a result. Nevertheless, another motion of no confidence was attempted on 25 November 2008; Natapei survived the vote by a narrow margin of 26 to 24. Three Vanua'aku Pati MPs signed the motion of no confidence, and after they refused to withdraw their signatures, Natapei suspended them from the party immediately prior to the vote.

In November 2009 Prime Minister Natapei, facing another vote of no confidence, organized a second major cabinet reshuffle. Natapei removed half of his cabinet members and cut ties with two political parties, National United Party
National United Party (Vanuatu)
The Vanuatu National United Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 8 out of 52 seats. It is a social democratic party which receives most of its support from English speakers...

 and the Vanuatu Republican Party
Vanuatu Republican Party
The Vanuatu Republican Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 7 out of 52 seats. Its leader is Maxime Carlot Korman, who was previously a member of the Union of Moderate Parties and had served as Prime Minister of Vanuatu while a...

, when it was revealed that the parties and their members were planning to launch a no confidence motion against his government.

Natapei replaced the sacked cabinet members with sixteen members from the opposition Alliance. Among the highest profile reshuffles, Ham Lini
Ham Lini
Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...

, Natapei predecessor and a member of the NUP, was replaced as Natapei's deputy prime minister by the leader of the Alliance bloc, Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman is a Vanuatu politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 2010 to April 2011 and from May to June 2011, though his premiership was subsequently annulled by a court of law. He was elected Prime Minister again on 26 June 2011, thus beginning his first legally recognised term...

. Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...

 will be replaced as the Speaker of parliament by George Wells
George Wells
George Wells may refer to:* George Albert Wells , Emeritus Professor of German at Birkbeck, University of London* George H. Wells , American soldier, lawyer and politician* George Wells , Anglican bishop in Canada...

. Alliance leader Sato Kilman confirmed that because of the reshuffle the Natapei government now had the support of 33 of the 52 MPs in the House.

On 27 November 2009, Natapei became ineligible to continue serving as Prime Minister. His parliamentary seat was declared vacant as he had missed three parliamentary sittings without informing the Speaker of the House. Despite being overseas on legitimate parliamentary business, his staff had failed to file the necessary paperwork with the Speaker to give notice of his absence. Serge Vohor became the acting Prime Minister. On December 5, however, Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek
Vincent Lunabek
Vincent Lunabek is a Vanuatan legal and political figure. As of 2011 he is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vanuatu.-References:...

 ruled that "the Speaker’s decision to unseat the PM on 27 November 2009 was ‘unconstitutional and of no legal effect’". On December 10, Parliament formally confirmed their confidence in Natapei, who thus remained Prime Minister.

Edward Natapei remains Prime Minister, with the support of 34 MPs (against 18 for the Opposition), as of June 2010.

On December 2 2010 Natapei was ousted by a vote of no confidence. He was succeeded by Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman is a Vanuatu politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 2010 to April 2011 and from May to June 2011, though his premiership was subsequently annulled by a court of law. He was elected Prime Minister again on 26 June 2011, thus beginning his first legally recognised term...

.

On June 16, however, Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek
Vincent Lunabek
Vincent Lunabek is a Vanuatan legal and political figure. As of 2011 he is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vanuatu.-References:...

 ruled in a case put forward by Natapei, contesting the constitutionality of Kilman's election. Lunabek ruled that Kilman's election to office had indeed been unconstitutional, as "[t]he speaker of Parliament Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...

 [had] appointed Mr Kilman prime minister without following article 41 of the constitution
Constitution of Vanuatu
The Constitution of Vanuatu is the supreme law of the Republic of Vanuatu. It was enacted in 1979, and came into force upon the country's independence on 30 July 1980....

 which required he be elected by secret ballot". Kilman's premiership was annulled, and Natapei was restored as interim Prime Minister, instructed to convene Parliament for the election of a new Prime Minister. Natapei immediately indicated that he himself would not be a candidate for the position, and that he would support Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...

's candidacy.

During his interim premiership, Natapei cancelled Vanuatu's diplomatic recognition of Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...

, issued by Kilman the previous month.

On June 26, Parliament elected Sato Kilman to the premiership, with 29 votes to Serge Vohor's 23, ending Natapei's interim duties.

First cabinet

Natapei named his government's cabinet
Council of Ministers of Vanuatu
The Cabinet of Vanuatu is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Vanuatu....

 line-up on 22 September 2008, the day of his election as Prime Minister. His cabinet included members of his own Vanua'aku Pati
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....

 (VP) as well as the National United Party
National United Party (Vanuatu)
The Vanuatu National United Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 8 out of 52 seats. It is a social democratic party which receives most of its support from English speakers...

 (VNUP). Natapei's predecessor, outgoing Prime Minister Ham Lini
Ham Lini
Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...

, was named as the new Minister for Public Utilities and Works.

Natapei's full cabinet includes:
  • Bakoa Kaltongga as the Minister of Justice and Social Welfare (VP
    Vanua'aku Pati
    The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....

    )
  • Sela Molisa
    Sela Molisa
    Sela Molisa is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is currently a member of the Parliament of Vanuatu, and was briefly Minister for Trade in Serge Vohor's Cabinet from April to May 2011...

     as Finance Minister (VP)
  • Paul Telukluk
    Paul Telukluk
    Paul Barthelemy Telukluk is a ni-Vanuatu politician.In 2000, he was the co-founder, along with Father Gérard Leymang and Vincent Boulekone, of the Green Confederation, to "promote sustainable development balancing custom, the environment, social welfare, free enterprise and regional autonomy...

     as Lands Minister (Namangi Aute
    Namangi Aute
    The Namangi Aute is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 6 July 2004, the party won 1 out of 52 seats....

    ) (Telukluk is the lone member of Natapei's cabinet from Namangi Aute.)
  • Charlot Salwai as Minister of Education (Union of Moderate Parties)
  • Serge Vohor
    Serge Vohor
    Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...

     as Minister for Infrastructure & Public Utilities (UMP)
  • Sato Kilman
    Sato Kilman
    Sato Kilman is a Vanuatu politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 2010 to April 2011 and from May to June 2011, though his premiership was subsequently annulled by a court of law. He was elected Prime Minister again on 26 June 2011, thus beginning his first legally recognised term...

     as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industries (People's Progressive Party)
  • Moana Carcasses Kalosil
    Moana Carcasses Kalosil
    Moana Carcasses Kalosil is a ni-Vanuatu politician. From December 2009 to December 2010, he was Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Labour in Edward Natapei's Cabinet. From December 2010 to June 2011, he was Minister of Finance and Economic Management in Sato Kilman's Cabinet.He served as...

     as the Minister for Internal Affairs (Greens)
  • Moses Kahu as Minister of Health (VP)
  • Stephen Kalsakau as Minister of Agriculture
  • Joe Natuman
    Joe Natuman
    Joe Natuman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, member of the Vanua'aku Pati.In 24 April 2011, newly elected Prime Minister Serge Vohor appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs in his Cabinet - a position he held until the fall of the Vohor government on 13 May....

     as Minister of Foreign Affairs (VP)
  • Raphael Worwor as Minister of Youth, Development and Training (UMP)


A few days before the motion of no confidence was debated in Parliament Prime Minister Natapei brought into the government side the Union Of Moderate Parties (UMP)and did his first cabinet reshuffle as follows:
  • Bakoa Kaltongga as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (VP
    Vanua'aku Pati
    The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....

    )
  • Sela Molisa
    Sela Molisa
    Sela Molisa is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is currently a member of the Parliament of Vanuatu, and was briefly Minister for Trade in Serge Vohor's Cabinet from April to May 2011...

     as Finance Minister (VP)
  • Joe Natuman
    Joe Natuman
    Joe Natuman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, member of the Vanua'aku Pati.In 24 April 2011, newly elected Prime Minister Serge Vohor appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs in his Cabinet - a position he held until the fall of the Vohor government on 13 May....

     as Minister of Health (VP) (Replacing Roro Sambo (VNUP))
  • Ham Lini
    Ham Lini
    Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...

     as DPM and Minister for Justice and Social Welfare (Replacing Joshua Kalsakau)(VNUP)
  • James Bule as Minister for Trade, Commerce & Industries (VNUP)
  • Patrick Crowby
    Patrick Crowby
    Patrick Joseph Manarewo Kalpuaso Crowby, born 6 July 1958 in Port Vila, is a ni-Vanuatu politician.He began his career as a primary school teacher in 1978....

     as the Minister for Internal Affairs (VNUP)
  • Havo Moli  as Minister of Agriculture
  • Don Ken as Minister of Youth, Development and Training
  • Serge Vohor as Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (UMP)
  • Raphael Worwor as Minister of Lands (UMP) (Replacing Joe Natuman)
  • Charlot Salwai as Minister of Education (UMP) (Replacing Willie Ruben Abel)
  • Esmon Saimon
    Esmon Saimon
    Esmon Saimon, also referred to as Esmon Sae , is a Vanuatu politician.He worked first as Secretary to the South West Bay Cooperative Society, from 1978 to 1982, then went into private business until 1998....

     as Minister of Ni Vanuatu Business (Independent)

External links


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