IFES
 

Jan. 16, 2025 Confirmed

Vanuatu
Republic of Vanuatu
Election for Ni-Vanuatu Parliament


General Information

At Stake in this Election: 

  • All 52 seats in the Ni-Vanuatu Parliament 

  • Chief of State: President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022) 

  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Charlot SALWAI (since 6 October 2023) 

  • Assembly: unicameral Parliament (Parlement) with 52 members 

  • The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college composed of members of Parliament and provincial presidents. The President serves a renewable 5-year term, and there are no term limits. 

  • The Prime Minister is indirectly elected by majority vote of at least three quarters of the members of Parliament. 

  • In Parliament, all 52 members are directly elected by single non-transferable vote and serve renewable 4-year terms. 

In the 2022 parliamentary snap election, the Union of Moderate Parties and the Vanuaaku Party led the field, winning 7 seats each. Five additional parties also won seats, and voter turnout was 44%. 

Information for Voters: 

Voter Awareness (with resources in English, Bislama, and French) 

New/Unique in this Election:  

President Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolved the Ni-Vanuatu Parliament in November 2024, prompting a snap election. The election was initially scheduled for 14 January but has since been delayed by two days to allow more time for relief efforts in response to the recent 7.3 earthquake that struck off the coast of Port Villa on 17 December 2024. The 2025 snap election will also be the first parliamentary election held following the passage of the Electoral Act No. 16 of 2023, the Political Parties Registration Act No. 15 of 2023, and the constitutional referendum of 2024. The 2023 acts establish that vacant parliamentary seats will be filled by certain qualified candidates from the prior election, the voter register will be based on the new national civil register, and flexible voting procedures will be developed for climate-related internally displaced persons and overseas voters outside of New Caledonia, among other changes. The 2024 constitutional referendum will require members of Parliament to vacate their seats if they resign from or are removed from their political party. Vacated seats will be filled by the next ranked candidate from the prior election provided that the candidate received at least 70% of the votes won by the outgoing member of Parliament and is still eligible to hold office. If the other candidates for the vacated seat do not meet these criteria, a by-election must be held. 

  • Candidate filing deadline: 25 December 2024 

  • Voter registration deadline: 3 December 2024 

  • Vanua’aku Pati 

    • Seats won in last election: out of 52 

  • Vanuatu National Development Party 

    • Seats won in last election: 7 out of 52 

  • Union of Moderate Parties 

    • Seats won in last election: 7 out of 52 

  • Leaders Party of Vanuatu 

    • Seats won in last election: 5 out of 52 

  • Reunification of Movements for Change / Namangi Aute 

    • Seats won in last election: 5 out of 52 

  • Land and Justice Party / Graon mo Jastis Parti 

    • Seats won in last election: 4 out of 52 

  • Rural Development Party 

    • Seats won in last election: 4 out of 52 

  • Iauko Group 

    • Seats won in last election: 3 out of 52 

  • Independent candidates 

    • Seats won in last election: 0 out of 52 

Population and Registered Voters: 

Gender Data: 

  • Gender Quota:  No 

  • Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

  • Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Not available 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Signed 17 May 2007, Ratified 23 October 2008 

  • Projected population with a disability: 51,266 (2023 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

  • Does IFES have a presence in Vanuatu: No 

  • Election Access: Yes 

  • ElectionJudgments: Yes, 2 judgments and 5 resources 

Election Modified: Jan 13, 2025

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