2012 Vanuatuan general election

2012 Vanuatuan general election
All 52 seats to the Parliament
Prime Minister before election; Sato Kilman; People's Progress Party	Subsequent Prime Minister ; Moana Carcasses Kalosil; GC

General elections were held in Vanuatu on 30 October 2012.^[1] The previous elections to the 52-member Parliament of Vanuatu were held in 2008. The largest parties in this election were the socialist Vanua'aku Party, which won 11 seats, and the social-democratic National United Party (8 seats). Thirteen other parties as well as four independents won parliamentary seats. As a result, Edward Natapei of the Vanua'aku Party was able to become the Prime Minister. Since then, both Serge Vohor of the conservative Union of Moderate Parties and Sato Kilman of the People's Progress Party have held that position, with Kilman being the incumbent Prime Minister of Vanuatu at the time of the 2012 election.

Electoral system[]

The 52 members of Parliament will be elected in 17 multi-member constituencies, using the single non-transferable vote.^[2]

Candidates had to be at least 25 years old, and could not have an undischarged prison sentence or bankruptcy.^[3] They also required the support of at least five registered voters in their constituency, and had to put down a non-refundable 50,000 vatu deposit.^[3] The President, judges, magistrates, civil servants, police officers, teachers and members of the National Council of Chiefs were all ineligible for election to Parliament.^[3]

Campaign[]

346 candidates from 32 political parties contested the 52 seats.^[4]

There were 344 polling stations throughout the country, including 12 in the capital city, Port Vila.^[5] Over 192,000 citizens were eligible to vote in the 2012 election, with 34,998 registered voters in the capital city.^[5]

The election was being observed by representatives from Australia, China, the European Union and the United States, as well as the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Vanuatu, .^[6] The international observers will submit a report on the election to the Vanuatuan government once the election is completed.^[6]

Conduct[]

Following the election, Attorney General Ishmael Kalsakau alleged that three ministers, including Moana Carcasses Kalosil, engaged in vote buying to secure several seats in Port Vila.^[7]

Results[]

Voters at a polling station on election day.


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Union of Moderate Parties	14,675	12.19	5	–2
	Vanua'aku Party	13,593	11.29	8	–3
	People's Progressive Party	9,642	8.01	6	+2
	National United Party	7,456	6.20	4	–4
	Land and Justice Party	7,241	6.02	4	New
	Reunification Movement for Change	6,921	5.75	3	New
	Nagriamel	5,092	4.23	3	+2
	Iauko Group	4,425	3.68	3	New
	Green Confederation	4,219	3.51	3	+1
	Vanuatu Republican Party	3,627	3.01	1	New
	Melanesian Progressive Party	3,379	2.81	2	+1
		2,982	2.48	1	New
	Vanuatu Presidential Party	2,888	2.40	0	New
	Vanuatu Democratic Party	2,110	1.75	0	0
		1,955	1.62	1	0
	Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party	1,915	1.59	2	New
	National Community Association	1,878	1.56	0	0
	Vanuatu Labour Party	1,182	0.98	0	–1
	Friend Melanesian Party	1,069	0.89	0	New
	People's Services Party	932	0.77	1	New
	Union Liberation Front	758	0.63	0	New
	Vanuatu Progressive Republican Party	671	0.56	0	New
	People's Action Party	653	0.54	0	–1
		634	0.53	1	New
	Vemarana 15 Islands Culture	561	0.47	0	New
	Vanuatu Reform Democratic Party	525	0.44	0	New
	Movement Blong ol Chief	450	0.37	0	New
	Tanna United Front	387	0.32	0	New
	Independent Movement	252	0.21	0	New
	Vanuatu Liberal Party	186	0.15	0	New
		144	0.12	0	–1
	Kristian Democratic Party	97	0.08	0	New
	Universal Ethnic System	87	0.07	0	New
	Vanuatu Democratic & Liberal Party	55	0.05	0	New
	Vanuatu Freedom Party	27	0.02	0	New
	Vanuatu Democratic and Liberal Party for Change	20	0.02	0	New
	Independents	17,666	14.68	4	0
Total		120,354	100.00	52	0

Valid votes		120,354	98.74
Invalid/blank votes		1,541	1.26
Total votes		121,895	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		184,463	66.08
Source: Psephos

Subsequent by-elections[]

2013 Tanna by-election, following the death of Harry Iauko, Iauko Group MP for Tanna. By-election won by his son Pascal Iauko (Iauko Group)
2015 Port-Vila by-election, following the death of Edward Natapei, Vanua'aku Party MP for Port-Vila. The by-election will take place in October.

References[]

^ Country Profile IFES
^ "Electoral system design data for Vanuatu | Electoral System Design | International IDEA". www.idea.int. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Electoral system IPU
^ "Vanuatu election: Early results trickle in". Australia Network News. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Polling has begun in Vanuatu's general election". Radio New Zealand International. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "New Zealand diplomat reassured after observing Vanuatu election". Radio New Zealand International. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
^ "Vanuatu opposition lodge no confidence motion". ABC News. July 10, 2013. Vanuatu's Attorney General Ishmael Kalsakau alleges three government ministers, including the prime minister, bribed voters in order to win six Port Vila seats during the 2012 general election. The court has been told Mr Carcasses gave a 25 kilogram bag of rice to people in Seaside Paama. He denies the allegation.

[IFES-1] Country Profile IFES

[2] "Electoral system design data for Vanuatu | Electoral System Design | International IDEA". www.idea.int. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.

[IPU-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Electoral system IPU

[ann-4] "Vanuatu election: Early results trickle in". Australia Network News. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-10-30.

[rnzi-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Polling has begun in Vanuatu's general election". Radio New Zealand International. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2012-10-30.

[rnzi2-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b "New Zealand diplomat reassured after observing Vanuatu election". Radio New Zealand International. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-10-30.

[7] "Vanuatu opposition lodge no confidence motion". ABC News. July 10, 2013. Vanuatu's Attorney General Ishmael Kalsakau alleges three government ministers, including the prime minister, bribed voters in order to win six Port Vila seats during the 2012 general election. The court has been told Mr Carcasses gave a 25 kilogram bag of rice to people in Seaside Paama. He denies the allegation.

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