Politics in Vanuatu : the 1991 Elections - article ; n°1 ; vol.100, pg 221-234

Ralph R.Premdas, Jeffrey Jeffreys.Steeves

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Journal de la Société des océanistes - Année 1995 - Volume 100 - Numéro 1 - Pages 221-234
14 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: JOURNAL_DE_LA_SOCIETE_DES_OCEANISTES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1995
• Nombre de lectures: 22
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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Ralph R. Premdas
Jeffrey S. Steeves
Politics in Vanuatu : the 1991 Elections
In: Journal de la Société des océanistes. 100-101, 1995-1-2. pp. 221-234.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Premdas Ralph R., Steeves Jeffrey S. Politics in Vanuatu : the 1991 Elections. In: Journal de la Société des océanistes. 100-
101, 1995-1-2. pp. 221-234.
doi : 10.3406/jso.1995.1965
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/jso_0300-953X_1995_num_100_1_1965Politics in Vanuatu : the 1991 Elections
Ethno-Linguistic Accomodation and Party Competition*
by
Ralph R. PREMDAS1 and Jeffrey S. STEEVES2
The 1991 national elections in the Republic of nizationally in the Pacific Islands,5 penetrating all
Vanuatu marked the decline of the Anglophone- aspects of ni-Vanuatu life.
based Vanua'aku Pati (VP) and the beginning of But VP rule under Lini was not only Franco-
ethno-linguistic coalition politics. The small South phobic. It was almost intolerant of all dissension
West Pacific state of barely 150 000 people had within its own ranks; it was often preoccupied with
been ruled from 1979 to 1991 by Fr. Walter Lini's ferretting out those suspected of being anti-Party
VP government which was almost entirely and frequently deported expatriates critical of
Anglophone in personnel and policy. In a country government performance. During its final days of
which is marked by a major religio-linguistic rift power, Lini fired one after another of his ministers
between Protestant Anglophone ni-Vanuatu and and close associates. The once impregnable VP
Catholic Francophone ni-Vanuatu, in a demograp was riven internally by factional infighting setting
hic ratio of approximately 58 : 30 [with the other the stage for a successful parliamentary vote of no-
12 % speaking only indigenous languages],3 the confidence. After Lini's fall in September 1991, a
VP approach to political life promoted discontent great sigh of relief was experienced throughout the
and disunity. The VP regime was more than just country. Two major fragments of the VP emerged
jaundised in favour of Anglophone ni-Vanuatu; it each pretending to the successor mantle of the ori
seemed to be systematically set on a course ginal VP. While the Kalpokas faction of the party
towards Anglicising the state. No more than 10 % won, evicted Lini from the party, and assumed
of the civil service was constituted of Francophone power, in the subsequent new elections the
ni-Vanuatu; no cabinet member was Francophone. Kalpokas-led Vanua'aku Pati was in turn ousted
External advisors were almost entirely Anglo from office and a new Francophone/Anglophone
phone. A hostile foreign policy was projected coalition replaced it. This was a major watershed
against France's presence in the Pacific. The sec in the evolution of post-independence politics and
tional tenor was unmistakable.4 The VP govern promised a radical departure from the policies and
practices of the past.6 The Francophone UMP, long ment's practices were propagated through its party
apparatus, perhaps the most comprehensive living in political exile, ironically joined forces
*. The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the generous financial assistance of the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada which supported our field research in Vanuatu over the 1990 to 1994 period.
1. Dept. of Political Science, University of Toronto.
2.of Studies, of Saskatchewan.
3. Republic of Vanuatu, Statistics Office, Vanuatu National Population Census May 1989 Main Report (Port Vila:
July 1991), p. 48.
4. See Ralph R. Premdas and Michael Howard, "Vanuatu's Foreign Policy: Contradictions and Constraints",
Australian Outlook, XXXIX 3, (1985), pp. 177-86.
5. See: James Jupp, "The Development of Party Politics in the New Hebrides", Journal of Commonwealth and
Comparative Politics, XVII (1979), pp. 264-280.
6. See Ralph R. Premdas, "Melanesian Socialism: Vanuatu's Quest for Self-Definition", Journal of
Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, XXV 2 (July 1987). SOCIÉTÉ DES OCÉANISTES 222
control of the archipelago as a " sphere of joint with its traditional Anglophone rival, Fr. Walter
influence " to 1980, when the condominium adminLini, now heading his new party, the National
United Party (NUP). The demise of one-party sec istrative structure was dismantled, the form of
tional dominance had now dawned and in the new government was bifurcated. The Anglo-French
Anglophone/Francophone coalition it seemed that administrative structure superimposed an artificial
old wounds were about to be healed. cleavage which came to pervade most aspects of
Would the coalition last ? After the first year of niVanuatu life. Political parties which emerged in
cohabitating, rumors were rife of an imminent the early 1970s in anticipation of self-government
divorce and intrigues once again abounded in Vila. were almost exclusively based on either Anglo
phone or Francophone ni-Vanuatu support.8 The The transition to a new order was difficult in part
because of the problems of purging the State appa New Hebrides Culture Society, which was formed
ratus of old-VP loyalists who were not enamoured in July 1971, and became the New Hebrides Natio
with a UMP-led government. Inevitably, more nal Party in August 1971, and then subsequently
Francophone ni-Vanuatu entered the government the Vanua'aku Pati, was constituted mainly of
at all levels and many from New Caledonia who Englishspeaking ni-Vanuatu. In mid- 1980, ind
had run away in the 1980 rebellion returned home. ependence was conceded under the predominantly
Strong alarm was sounded even by Lini who was English-speaking Vanua'aku Pati government. The
now part of the new government. Would the opport VP under Lini's continuous leadership won suc
unity to weld the Anglophone/Francophone clea cessive national elections following independence.
vage flounder on traditional fears ? The old VP In early February 1987, while on an official
comrades who are now found in different parties visit to the USA, Walter Lini suffered a stroke
[the Kalpokas-VP, the Lini-NUP and the Sope- which sent shock waves throughout Vanuatu.
Sokomanu MPP] are again talking to each other in Elements within the ruling party began to openly
quiet conspiratorial whispers. Will the old unified question and discuss the ability of Lini to continue
VP of the 1970s and early 1980s overcome its per as leader of the party and as prime minister. Barak
sonal differences, rediscover its cohesion and Sope, secretary-general of the VP since 1976,
return to power in a combined assault on the openly challenged Lini for the leadership of the
UMP? In this article, we examine all these ques party.9 Sope argued that Lini was not physically
tions in relation to this new experiment in cross- capable of continuing as party leader and as prime
sectional co-habitation. We begin, however, by minister. The crisis moved to a higher plane when
first presenting in Part I a review of the momentus Lini announced that he had dismissed Sope from
1991 elections which saw the fall of the VP from the cabinet. In early September, Sope announced
power and the emergence of the new Francophone- that he and his group were forming a new political
dominated UMP-NUP government. In Part II, we party, the Melanesian Progressive Pati. The
examine the operations and problems of the coali Vanua'aku Pati had been transformed from a
tion in power and evaluate its prospects. strong and unified grass roots party into a shadow
of its former self having lost its major ideologue
and secretary-general, Barak Sope. In a new crisis
The 1991 national elections that ensued, the figurehead president, George
Sokomanu, sought to remove the executive head of
Three main issues dominated the election cam state, Prime Minister Walter Lini. The drama went
paign in 1991: a) leadership and succession ; b) the through a sequence of riots, by-elections, parli
exclusion of the Francophone community : and, c) amentary evictions, coup plots, and finally culminat
the economy. The most significant issue related to ed with the eviction of President Sokomanu from
the change in the leadership of the state. To office.
understand this issue, it is necessary to recollect After the trauma of the constitutional crisis, in
briefly the rise and dominance of the VP over the mid- 1988 Lini moved away from associates both
colonial state. Vanuatu was administered under a in the party and cabinet and relied heavily on two
particularly virulent form of colonial control. persons, an American investor, Jimmy Scantlin,
Instead of being burdened by only one colonial and a naturalised Vietnamese businessman, Dinh
Van Than, for personal and political support.10 It master, it was controlled by two, the French and
the British, in what was called a " condominium ".7 was charged that Lini followed the advice of these
From 1887, when England and France assumed two in deporting business rivals. This precipitated
7. See: D.P. O'Connell, "The Condominium of the New Hebrides", The British Yearbook of International Law
(London: Oxford University Press, 1969).
8. C. Plant (éd.), New Hebrides - The Road to Independence (Suva: Institute of Pacific Studies, 1977); see also,
Jupp, op. cit.