General Information
Republic of Vanuatu: Parliament, 22 January 2016
At stake in this election:
- All 52 seats in Parliament.
Description of government structure:
- Chief of State: President Baldwin LONSDALE (since 22 September 2014)
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 11 June 2015)
- Assembly: Vanuatu has a unicameral Parliament with 52 seats.
Description of electoral system:
- In the Parliament, 52 members are elected in 8 single-seat and 10 multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 4-year terms. Multi-seat constituencies range in magnitude from two to seven members elected in each constituency.
Last Election:
- Vanuatu last held parliamentary elections on October 30, 2012. Overall, 15 parties won seats in the Parliament, with the Our Land Party / Vanua’aku Pati winning the most seats with 8. Despite winning the most seats, Sato KILMAN retained the role of Prime Minister following the election, after winning 29 votes in the Parliament. Elections were not due until October 2016; however, early elections were called following the jailing of 14 MPs from the governing coalition on bribery charges.
Main parties in the election:[1]
- Our Land Party / Vanua’aku Pati (VP)
- Leader: Joe NATUMAN
- Last Election: 8 seats (11.31% of votes)
- Union of Moderates Party (UMP) / Union des Partis Moderés
- Leader: Serge VOHOR
- Last Election: 5 seats (11.72% of votes)
- Land and Justice Party / Graon mo Jastis Parti (GJP)
- Leader: Ralph REGENVANU
- Last Election: 4 seats (6.03% of vote)
- Vanuatu National Development Party (VNDP)
- Leader: Christophe EMELEE / Robert BOHN
- Last Election: N/A
- National United Party (NUP)
- Leader: Ham LINI
- Last Election: 4 seats (6.20% of vote)
- People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
- Leader: Sato KILMAN
- Last Election: 6 seats (8.01% of vote)
- Vanuatu Presidential Party (VPP)
- Leader: Louis KALNPEL
- Last Election: 0 seats (2.40% of vote)
- Natatok
- Leader: Alfred CARLOT
- Last Election: 2 seats (1.56% of vote)
- Nagriamel
- Leader: Moli Abel NAKO
- Last Election: 3 seats (4.23% of vote)
- Independents[2]
- Last Election: 4 seats (14.68% of vote)
Population and number of registered voters:
- Population: 272,264 (July 2015 est.)
- Registered Voters: 192,632 (October 2012)
Gender Data:
- Female Population: 136,075 (July 2015 est.)
- Is Vanuatu a signatory to CEDAW: No
- Has Vanuatu ratified CEDAW: No[3]
- Gender Quota: No[4]
- Female candidates in this election: Yes,
- Number of Female Parliamentarians: 0
- Human Development Index Position: 134
- Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A
Disability Data:
- Is Vanuatu a signatory to CRPD: Yes (17 May 2007)
- Has Vanuatu ratified CRPD: Yes (23 October 2008)
- Population with a disability: 40,840
[1] Overall, 261 candidates from 36 political parties were registered by the Vanuatu Electoral Commission to run in the 2016 general election. A full list of candidates and parties can be found here.
[2] There are 68 independent candidates registered to contest the election.
[3] Vanuatu acceded to CEDAW on
[4] No gender quotas exist for national level elections. There does exist a gender quota for municipal elections, wherein one seat in every ward must be reserved for a women.