Government of Vanuatu: Branches, Military and International Issues | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania

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GOVERNMENT OF VANUATU

Vanuatu is a parliamentary republic. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Names of the Country: Official Name: Republic of Vanuatu; conventional short form: Vanuatu; local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu; local short form: Vanuatu; Former name: New Hebrides. Source of the Name: derived from the words "vanua" (home or land) and "tu" (stand) that occur in several of the Austonesian languages spoken on the islands and which provide a meaning of "the land remains" but which also convey a sense of "independence" or "our land". [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Capital: Port-Vila (on Efate): Geographic Coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Administrative Divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and the UK). National Holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

National Symbols of Vanuatu

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow; red represents the blood of boars and men, as well as unity, green the richness of the islands, and black the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow Y-shape: which reflects the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean: symbolizes the light of the Gospel spreading through the islands; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity frequently worn as a pendant on the islands; the fern fronds represent peace. The Vanuatu flag is one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Eritrea. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]

National Symbols: boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds; national colors: red, black, green, yellow

National Anthem: name: "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi" (We, We, We), lyrics/music: Francois Vincent AYSSAV. It was adopted in 1980; the anthem is written in Bislama, a Creole language that mixes Pidgin English and French

Constitution and Legal System of Vanuatu

Constitution: draft completed August 1979, finalized by constitution conference 19 September 1979, ratified by French and British Governments 23 October 1979, effective 30 July 1980 at independence. Amendments: proposed by the prime minister or by the Parliament membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by Parliament in special session with at least three fourths of the membership; passage of amendments affecting the national and official languages, or the electoral and parliamentary system also requires approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2013. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Legal System: mixed legal system of English common law, French law, and customary law. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

International Law Organization Participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Citizenship: Citizenship by Birth: no; Citizenship by Descent Only: both parents must be citizens of Vanuatu; in the case of only one parent, it must be the father who is a citizen; Dual Citizenship Recognized: no; Residency Requirement for Naturalization: 10 years. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Executive Branch of Vanuatu

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

Head of Government: Prime Minister Ishmael KALSAKAU (since 4 November 2022). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Executive Branch Elections and Appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; Vanuatu president serves a 5-year term; election last held on 23 July 2022 (next to be held in 2027); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 20 April 2020 (next to be held following general elections in 2024)

Results of the Last Presidential Election: Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in the eighth round on 23 July 2022 with 48 votes; Ishmael KALSAKAU (UMP) elected prime minister on 4 November 2022 with 50 votes. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Legislative Branch of Vanuatu

has a unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members directly elected in 8 single-seat and 9 multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 4-year terms (candidates in multi-seat constituencies can be elected with only 4 percent of the vote)

The last legislative election was held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)

Results of the Last Legislative Election (percent of vote by party): NA; seats by party: UMP 7, VP 7, LPV 5, RMC 5, GJP 4, NUP 4, RDP 4, IG 3, PPP 2, VNDP 2, NAG 1, VLM 1, other 6, independent 1; composition: men 51, women 1; percent of women 2 percent.

The National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language

Judicial Branch of Vanuatu

Highest Court: Court of Appeal (consists of 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court designated by the chief justice); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 puisne judges: 3 local and 3 expatriate)

Judge Selection and Term of Office for the Highest Court: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 4-member advisory body; judges serve until the age of retirement. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Subordinate Courts: Magistrates Courts; Island Courts

Elections and Political Parties of Vanuatu

Voting Age: 18 years of age; universal. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Presidential Elections: The president is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; Anelection was last held on 23 July 2022 (next to be held in 2027); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 20 April 2020 (next to be held following general elections in 2024)

The last legislative election was held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)

Political party associations are fluid.

Political Parties: Green Confederation or GC led by Moana CARCASSES Kalosil
Iauko Group or IG led by Tony NARI
Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati) or GJP led by Ralph REGENVANU
Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP led by Barak SOPE
Nagriamel Movement or NAG led by Frankie STEVENS
Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party or NATATOK or NIPDP led by Alfred Roland CARLOT
National United Party or NUP led by Ham LINI
People's Progressive Party or PPP led by Sato KILMAN
People's Service Party or PSP led by Don KEN
Reunification of Movement for Change or RMC led by Charlot SALWAI
Rural Development Party or RDP led by Jay NGWELE, spokesman
Union of Moderate Parties or UMP led by Alatoi Ishmael KALSAKAU
Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP led by Bob LOUGHMAN
Vanuatu Democratic Party led by Maxime Carlot KORMAN
Vanuatu First or Vanuatu led by Russel NARI
Vanuatu Liberal Democratic Party or VLDP led by Tapangararua WILLIE
Vanuatu Liberal Movement or VLM led by Gaetan PIKIOUNE
Vanuatu National Development Party or VNDP led by Robert Bohn SIKOL
Vanuatu National Party or VNP led by Issac HAMARILIU
Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP led by Marcellino PIPITE]. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]

Government Spending, Taxes and Revenues

Government Budget: revenues: $398 million (2019 estimate)
expenditures: $355 million (2019 estimate)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) -0.9 percent (of GDP) (2017 estimate); ranking compared to other countries in the world: 71. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]

Public Debt: 48.4 percent of GDP (2017 estimate)
46.1 percent of GDP (2016 estimate); ranking compared to other countries in the world: 113. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]

Taxes: 14.24 percent (of GDP) (2020 estimate); ranking compared to other countries in the world: 155. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]

Military of Vanuatu

Military and Security Forces: no regular military forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) (2023). The VPF includes the Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) and Police Maritime Wing (VPMW); the paramilitary VMF also has external security responsibilities

The separate British and French police forces were unified in 1980 under Ni-Vanuatu officers as the New Hebrides Constabulary; the force retained some British and French officers as advisors; the Constabulary was subsequently renamed the Vanuatu Police Force later in 1980

the Vanuatu Mobile Force has received training and other support from Australia, China, France, New Zealand, and the U.S.

Vanuatu has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Vanuatu's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)

International Relations of Vanuatu

International Disputes: Vanuatu-France: Matthew and Hunter Islands, two uninhabited islands east of New Caledonia, claimed by Vanuatu and France; in January 2019, a French naval mission landed officers on the islands to reinforce France’s sovereignty; in November 2021, French vessels fishing near the islands raised tensions

International Organization That Vanuatu Participates In: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Image Sources:

Text Sources: CIA World Factbook, 2023; “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 2: Oceania,” edited by Terence E. Hays, 1991, Wikipedia, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated August 2023