Ham Lini
Encyclopedia
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. Ham Lini is the current leader of the National United Party
(VNUP).
in the July 2004 parliamentary elections
, with 10 of 52 seats. Ham Lini became a candidate for Prime Minister, but was defeated by Serge Vohor
, though Lini also had the support of the largest faction of the Vanua'aku Pati
, led by outgoing Prime Minister Edward Natapei
. He continued to dispute the results and lead the opposition to the Vohor government until 20 August 2004, when Vohor and Lini formed a National Unity Government, in which Vohor remained Prime Minister and Lini became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs.
In December 2004, Vohor was ousted after only a few months in office in a no confidence vote for unilaterally establishing relations with Taiwan
(Republic of China
), and Lini was elected Prime Minister by the Parliament
. One of Lini's first actions after taking office was the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China
.
On 21 March 2006, Lini survived a no confidence vote in Parliament by a vote of 30 to 20. The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Serge Vohor
, had accused the Lini government of weaknesses from a controversial proposal to monopolize kava
exports. The Opposition had believed that some parliament members who had supported the government would defect, but few did.
Lini and Vanuatu's council of ministers declared a state of emergency
for the capital city
of Port Vila
in March 2007 following tribal clashes between people from the islands of Tanna and Ambrym
. The clashes, which took place in Blacksands squatter settlement area on the outskirts of Port Vila, killed two people. The fighting broke out when people from Tanna alleged that an Ambrym man used black magic
to harm a Tannese person.
suffered losses in Parliament during the general election
held on 2 September 2008, although he was re-elected to his own parliamentary seat. Edward Natapei
of the Vanuaku Pati narrowly defeated his nearest opponent, Maxime Carlot Korman
, leader of the Vanuatu Republican Party
, with 27 votes to 25 votes in Parliament in a vote three weeks later on 22 September, succeeding Lini as Prime Minister.
Natapei pledged to continue many of Lini's policies and incorporate them in his new government. These included anti-corruption
measures, transparency, political stability and good governance
. Natapei named Lini to his cabinet as Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities on 22 September 2008.
In Natapei's first reshuffle Lini was given the post of Minister of Justice & Social Welfare whilst remaining as Deputy Prime Minister
. However, in Natapei second major cabinet reshuffle, which took place in November 2009, Lini was removed as Deputy Prime Minister and replaced by Sato Kilman
. Natapei had learned that Lini's Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party
were planning a vote of no confidence measure against him. In response to the no confidence plan, Natapei sacked half his cabinet members, including Lini, and removed the Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party from his cabinet, replacing them with sixteen members of the opposition.
Ham Lini returned to government when Sato Kilman
became Prime Minister on 2 December 2010, having ousted Natapei in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Kilman appointed Lini Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Minister for Trade, Commerce, Industries and Tourism. Lini held the position until 24 April 2011, when Kilman was in turn ousted in turn in a vote of no confidence, and replaced by Serge Vohor
. Vohor did not appoint Lini to his cabinet
.
Three weeks later, however, on 13 May, Vohor's election and premiership were voided by the Court of Appeal, and the Kilman government was restored, complete with Ham Lini as Deputy Prime Minister. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Lini lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.
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 is an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from Pentecost Island
Pentecost Island
Pentecost Island is one of the 83 islands that make up the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. It lies due north of capital Port Vila. Pentecost Island is known as Pentecôte in French and Pentikos in Bislama. The island was known in its native languages by names such as Vanu Aroaroa, although these...
in PENAMA Province
Penama Province
PENAMA is a province of Vanuatu, occupying the islands of Ambae, Maewo, and Pentecost. The name PENAMA is derived from the initial letters of Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo. It has a population of 28,960 people and an area of 1,198 km². Its capital is Saratamata....
. He was Prime Minister of 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...
from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini
Walter Lini
Father Walter Hadye Lini was an Anglican priest and the founding Prime Minister of Vanuatu. He was born on Pentecost Island. During the era when Vanuatu was a condominium ruled by the United Kingdom and France, Lini formed the Vanua'aku Pati, which was principally backed by English-speakers...
, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu. Ham Lini is the current leader of 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).
Prime Minister of Vanuatu
The VNUP became the largest party in parliamentPolitics of Vanuatu
The politics of Vanuatu take place within the framework of a constitutional democracy. The constitution provides for a representative parliamentary system. The head of the Republic is an elected President, but the Prime Minister of Vanuatu is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by...
in the July 2004 parliamentary elections
Vanuatuan general election, 2004
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 6 July 2004. The VP-VNP coalition won the most seats, but failed to gain a majority, which instead was cobbled together by Serge Vohor of the Union of Moderate Parties, who became Prime Minister, subsequently forming a national unity government.However,...
, with 10 of 52 seats. Ham Lini became a candidate for Prime Minister, but was defeated by 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...
, though Lini also had the support of the largest faction 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....
, led by outgoing Prime Minister Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
. He continued to dispute the results and lead the opposition to the Vohor government until 20 August 2004, when Vohor and Lini formed a National Unity Government, in which Vohor remained Prime Minister and Lini became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs.
In December 2004, Vohor was ousted after only a few months in office in a no confidence vote for unilaterally establishing relations with Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
), and Lini was elected Prime Minister by the 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....
. One of Lini's first actions after taking office was the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
On 21 March 2006, Lini survived a no confidence vote in Parliament by a vote of 30 to 20. The opposition, led by former Prime Minister 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...
, had accused the Lini government of weaknesses from a controversial proposal to monopolize kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
exports. The Opposition had believed that some parliament members who had supported the government would defect, but few did.
Lini and Vanuatu's council of ministers declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
for the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
in March 2007 following tribal clashes between people from the islands of Tanna and Ambrym
Ambrym
Ambrym is a volcanic island in the archipelago of Vanuatu . It is well known for its highly active volcanic activity that includes lava lake formation.-Etymology:...
. The clashes, which took place in Blacksands squatter settlement area on the outskirts of Port Vila, killed two people. The fighting broke out when people from Tanna alleged that an Ambrym man used black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
to harm a Tannese person.
2008 general election
Lini failed to gain a second term as Prime Minister after his National United PartyNational 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...
suffered losses in Parliament during the 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...
held on 2 September 2008, although he was re-elected to his own parliamentary seat. Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
of the Vanuaku Pati narrowly defeated 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...
, 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...
, with 27 votes to 25 votes in Parliament in a vote three weeks later on 22 September, succeeding Lini as Prime Minister.
Natapei pledged to continue many of Lini's policies and incorporate them in his new government. These included anti-corruption
Anti-Corruption
Anti-Corruption is a 1975 Hong Kong film directed by Ng See Yuen and released under the Eternal Film banner.-External links:* Anti-Corruption at...
measures, transparency, political stability and 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...
. Natapei named Lini to his cabinet as Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities on 22 September 2008.
In Natapei's first reshuffle Lini was given the post of Minister of Justice & Social Welfare whilst remaining as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
. However, in Natapei second major cabinet reshuffle, which took place in November 2009, Lini was removed as Deputy Prime Minister and replaced 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...
. Natapei had learned that Lini's Vanuatu National United Party 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...
were planning a vote of no confidence measure against him. In response to the no confidence plan, Natapei sacked half his cabinet members, including Lini, and removed the Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party from his cabinet, replacing them with sixteen members of the opposition.
Ham Lini returned to government when 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...
became Prime Minister on 2 December 2010, having ousted Natapei in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Kilman appointed Lini Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Minister for Trade, Commerce, Industries and Tourism. Lini held the position until 24 April 2011, when Kilman was in turn ousted in turn in a vote of no confidence, and replaced by 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...
. Vohor did not appoint Lini to his cabinet
Council of Ministers of Vanuatu
The Cabinet of Vanuatu is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Vanuatu....
.
Three weeks later, however, on 13 May, Vohor's election and premiership were voided by the Court of Appeal, and the Kilman government was restored, complete with Ham Lini as Deputy Prime Minister. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Lini lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.