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Prime Minister of Vanuatu

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The prime minister of Vanuatu is the head of government of the Republic of Vanuatu.

Prime Minister of Vanuatu
Praem Minista blong Vanuatu (Bislama)
Premier Ministre de Vanuatu (French)
Coat of arms of Vanuatu
since 6 October 2023
Term lengthfor as long as the Prime Minister has the confidence of Parliament
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Vanuatu
Formation30 July 1980
First holderWalter Lini
SalaryVt 67,846 weekly (32,295 USD annually)[1]
Websitehttps://ogcio.gov.vu/

The office of prime minister was created under the Constitution of Vanuatu upon the country's independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lini becoming the first office-holder. The position is sometimes seen as a continuation of the older office of Chief Minister, which existed before Vanuatu obtained its independence. According to the Constitution, the prime minister is elected by the Parliament, of which s/he must be a member. The prime minister directly appoints or dismisses members of the Council of Ministers (cabinet ministers).

So far 13 men have served as Prime Minister of Vanuatu, some on multiple occasions.

The current prime minister is Charlot Salwai from Reunification Movement for Change, since 6 October 2023.

Disputes

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In November 2009, Prime Minister Edward Natapei was briefly declared by the Speaker to have lost his seat over a procedural technicality. The courts invalidated the ruling, and Natapei regained his seat, and thus the premiership.[2][3]

Serge Vohor's fourth term in office, from April to May 2011, is included in the list below, although his election to the premiership was voided as unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal on 13 May, on the grounds that he had been elected only by a majority of members of Parliament (26 out of 52)[clarification needed], not by an absolute majority. Ralph Regenvanu, who regained his position as Minister for Justice after the annulment of Vohor's premiership, stated: "Prime Minister Serge Vohor and his cabinet are illegal, null and void and were never the government of the country."[4]

Similarly, Sato Kilman's term is included although it was also voided, by a ruling from Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek on 16 June 2011, finding that Kilman's election in December 2010 had not been in conformity with the requirements for a secret parliamentary ballot set out in article 41 of the Constitution. Thus, following Edward Natapei's ousting in a valid motion of no confidence in December 2010, Vanuatu had no lawfully constituted government until Natapei was restored in June with instructions from the court to convene Parliament for the election of a prime minister.[5][6] This was done on 26 June, resulting in Sato Kilman's election to the premiership by Parliament – his first legally recognised term as prime minister.[7]

List of prime ministers

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Elected Government
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Walter Lini
(1942–1999) 		30 July 1980 6 September 1991 11 years, 38 days Vanua'aku Pati 1983
1987 		Lini I–II–III
–   Donald Kalpokas
(1943–2019)
Acting 		6 September 1991 16 December 1991 101 days Vanua'aku Pati – Lini III
2   Maxime Carlot Korman
(born 1941) 		16 December 1991 21 December 1995 4 years, 5 days Union of Moderate Parties 1991 Korman I
3   Serge Vohor
(1955–2024) 		21 December 1995 23 February 1996
(Vote of no confidence) 		64 days Union of Moderate Parties 1995 Vohor I
(2)   Maxime Carlot Korman
(born 1941) 		23 February 1996 30 September 1996
(Vote of no confidence) 		220 days Union of Moderate Parties — Korman II
(3)   Serge Vohor
(1955–2024) 		30 September 1996 30 March 1998 1 year, 181 days Union of Moderate Parties — Vohor II
4   Donald Kalpokas
(1943–2019) 		30 March 1998 25 November 1999 1 year, 240 days Vanua'aku Pati 1998 Kalpokas
5   Barak Sopé
(born 1955) 		25 November 1999 13 April 2001
(Resigned) 		1 year, 139 days Melanesian Progressive Party — Sopé
6   Edward Natapei
(1954–2015) 		13 April 2001 29 July 2004 3 years, 107 days Vanua'aku Pati 2002 Natapei I–II
(3)   Serge Vohor
(1955–2024) 		29 July 2004 11 December 2004
(Vote of no confidence) 		135 days Union of Moderate Parties 2004 Vohor III
7   Ham Lini
(born 1951) 		11 December 2004 22 September 2008 3 years, 286 days National United Party — Lini
(6)   Edward Natapei
(1954–2015) 		22 September 2008 27 November 2009
(Removed) 		1 year, 66 days Vanua'aku Pati 2008 Natapei III
–   Serge Vohor
(1955–2024)
Acting 		27 November 2009 5 December 2009 8 days Union of Moderate Parties — Natapei III
(6)   Edward Natapei
(1954–2015) 		5 December 2009
(Reinstated) 		2 December 2010
(Vote of no confidence) 		362 days Vanua'aku Pati — Natapei III
8   Sato Kilman
(born 1957) 		2 December 2010 24 April 2011
(Vote of no confidence) 		143 days People's Progressive Party — Kilman I
(3)   Serge Vohor
(1955–2024) 		24 April 2011 13 May 2011
(Removed) 		19 days Union of Moderate Parties — Vohor IV
(8)   Sato Kilman
(born 1957) 		13 May 2011 16 June 2011
(Removed) 		34 days People's Progressive Party — Kilman II
–   Edward Natapei
(1954–2015)
Acting 		16 June 2011 26 June 2011 10 days Vanua'aku Pati — Interim
(8)   Sato Kilman
(born 1957) 		26 June 2011
(Reinstated) 		23 March 2013
(Resigned) 		1 year, 270 days People's Progressive Party 2012 Kilman III–IV
9   Moana Carcasses Kalosil
(born 1963) 		23 March 2013 15 May 2014
(Vote of no confidence) 		1 year, 53 days Green Confederation — Carcasses
10   Joe Natuman
(born 1952) 		15 May 2014 11 June 2015
(Vote of no confidence) 		1 year, 27 days Vanua'aku Pati — Natuman
(8)   Sato Kilman
(born 1957) 		11 June 2015 11 February 2016 245 days People's Progressive Party — Kilman V
11   Charlot Salwai
(born 1963) 		11 February 2016 20 April 2020 4 years, 69 days Reunification Movement for Change 2016 Salwai
12   Bob Loughman
(born 1961) 		20 April 2020 4 November 2022 2 years, 198 days Vanua'aku Pati 2020 Loughman
13   Ishmael Kalsakau
(born 19??) 		4 November 2022 4 September 2023 304 days Union of Moderate Parties 2022 Kalsakau
(8)   Sato Kilman
(born 1957) 		4 September 2023 6 October 2023 32 days People's Progressive Party — Kilman VI
(11)   Charlot Salwai
(born 1963) 		6 October 2023 Incumbent 1 year, 83 days Reunification Movement for Change — Salwai II

Timeline

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Ishmael KalsakauBob LoughmanCharlot SalwaiJoe NatumanMoana Carcasses KalosilSato KilmanHam Lin̄iEdward NatapeiBarak SopéSerge VohorMaxime Carlot KormanDonald KalpokasWalter Lin̄i

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Official Salaries not something to keep mum about - News - dailypost.vu". 1 July 2017. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Natapei retains seat: CJ rules", Vanuatu Daily Post, 7 December 2009[dead link‍]
  3. ^ "PM Natapei defeats motion with 36 MPs", Vanuatu Daily Post, 11 December 2009[dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Vanuatu Court decision results in change of government", ABC Radio Australia, 13 May 2011
  5. ^ "Vanuatu Court rules Kilman election void, reinstates Natapei as interim PM". Radio New Zealand International. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Supreme Declared Natapei, Acting Prime Minister", Government of Vanuatu, 16 June 2011 Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Kilman elected Vanuatu PM - ten days after ouster by court". Radio New Zealand International. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
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