2012 Vanuatuan general election
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 Progressive Party have held that position, with Kilman being the incumbent Prime Minister of Vanuatu at the time of the 2012 election.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 52 seats in Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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, Bill Dobie.[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
| 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 | –6 | |
| Melanesian Progressive Party | 3,379 | 2.81 | 2 | +1 | |
| Vanuatu Liberal Democratic Party | 2,982 | 2.48 | 1 | New | |
| Vanuatu Presidential Party | 2,888 | 2.40 | 0 | New | |
| Vanuatu Democratic Party | 2,110 | 1.75 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vanuatu National Party | 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 | 0 | |
| 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 | |
| Vanuatu Progressive Development Party | 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 | |
| Vanuatu Family First Party | 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 Pati MP for Port-Vila. The by-election was won by Kenneth Natapei for the Vanua'aku Pati.
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.
- Electoral system IPU
- "Vanuatu election: Early results trickle in". Australia Network News. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
- "Polling has begun in Vanuatu's general election". Radio New Zealand International. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
- "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.
