Vanua'aku Pati
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The Vanua'aku Pati (could be translated with Our Land Party) is a political party in Vanuatu. At the last legislative elections, 6 July 2004, the party won 8 out of 52 seats.
The party was founded in the early 1970s by Walter Lini and was known until 1974 as the New Hebrides National Party. The party won the pre-independence 1979 elections and Lini became chief minister. The country gained independence in 1980 and Lini became the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, remaining in the post until 1991. In 1991 the party split, and Lini was among those who left the party. Despite this, the party remained strong. During the next decade, party members Donald Kalpokas and Edward Natapei served as prime ministers of Vanuatu. The party has been losing seats since the late 1990s, taking 18 in the 1998 elections, 14 in the 2002 elections, and 8 in the 2004 elections, a setback which forced Prime Minister Natapei to resign. However, it remains influential. It currently supports the National United Party government of Walter Lini's brother Ham Lini but is known to have much disunity, so it is always possible that several members of the party could help bring down the government in a no confidence vote.
The name of the Vanua'aku Party means "Party of Our land" in English. It supports socialist economic policies and is mostly supported by English speakers.
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