Moana Carcasses Kalosil

Moana Carcasses Kalosil is a ni-Vanuatu politician. From December 2009 to December 2010, he was Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Labour in Edward Natapei's Cabinet. From December 2010 to June 2011, he was Minister of Finance and Economic Management in Sato Kilman's Cabinet.

He served as Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Edward Natapei from 2003 to 2004. Following parliamentary elections, he became Finance Minister on 28 July 2004 under Prime Minister Serge Vohor. He kept the post of finance minister when Ham Lini became prime minister later in 2004. He remained in that position until 14 November 2005 when he was sacked by Lini for unclear reasons.

He is a member of the Vanuatu Green Party (Green Confederation), which he led into the opposition when he lost his cabinet post in November 2005. On that occasion became deputy leader of the opposition.

In the September 2008 general election, he retained his seat, as well as the leadership of the Green Confederation, and became whip of the parliamentary Opposition to Prime Minister Edward Natapei's government.[1]

In December 2008, he and fellow Member of Parliament Ralph Regenvanu were arrested, detained by the police for 24 hours, and charged with "harbouring and aiding of prisoners", "obstructing police on duty" and "accessory after the fact" to the breakout of 30 inmates from the country's main prison in Port Vila. Although Regenvanu admitted having known of the plans for the breakout, and having assisted escapees in finding shelter at the National Council of Chiefs's nakamal, it is not clear what role Carcasses allegedly played in these events.[2] They were released, provisionally, and appeared in court in February 2009.[3] [4] In January 2009, Prime Minister Edward Natapei's government stated that it would consider seeking Regenvanu's and Carcasses' suspension from Parliament over the charges.[5]

In September 2009, the Supreme Court dropped all charges against both men.[6]

In December 2009, in the context of a Cabinet reshuffle, Carcasses left the Opposition and joined Natapei's government, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Labour.[7] [8] In his latter capacity, he argued that unemployment in Vanuatu should be addressed by encouraging young people to return to agricultural work in their native rural areas, and produce their own food, rather than move to Port Vila where they would often struggle to find a job.[9] He joined the Cabinet as the leader of an informal "Alliance" of MPs from a variety of small parties, and three independent MPs.[10]

As Minister for Internal Affairs and Labour, he stated that he had prevented unqualified applicant Chinese labourers in the construction sector from obtaining or renewing work permits, "because these people wanted to rob employment from ni-Vanuatu. My policy is that 'man ples' [indigenous ni-Vanuatu] are the priority".[11]

In December 2010, when the Natapei government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, Carcasses supported his successor Sato Kilman, and obtained a post as Minister of Finance and Economic Management in the new government.[12] [13] Kilman was himself ousted in a vote of no confidence on 24 April 2011, however, and Carcasses lost his position in government.[14] He recovered it three weeks later, on 13 May, when the Court of Appeal voided the election of Serge Vohor's new government on constitutional grounds, and the Kilman government was restored.[15] This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was itself voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Carcasses lost office once more.[16] He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.[17]

References

  1. ^ "MPs to challenge any motion to suspend them", Vanuatu Daily Post, 17 January 2009
  2. ^ "Carcasses and Regenvanu charged", Vanuatu Daily Post, 23 December 2008
  3. ^ "Deux députés du Vanuatu comparaissent aujourd’hui devant la cour de première instance", ABC Radio Australia, 6 February 2009
  4. ^ "Magistrate refuses application to strike out MPs’ case", Vanuatu Daily Post, 4 February 2009
  5. ^ "MPs to challenge any motion to suspend them", Vanuatu Daily Post, 17 January 2009
  6. ^ "Vanuatu Politicians cleared of charges relating to prison break". ABC Radio Australia. 29 September 2009. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200909/s2699889.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  7. ^ "Vanuatu speaker’s post at centre of parliamentary vote". Radio New Zealand International. 8 December 2009. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50788. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  8. ^ Composition of Cabinet, on the website of the Parliament of Vanuatu (January 2010)
  9. ^ "Vanuatu labour minister advocates return to agriculture". Radio New Zealand International. 10 February 2010. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=51838. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  10. ^ "Crack in Alliance", Vanuatu Daily Post, 4 September 2010
  11. ^ "No renewal for Chinese workers: Carcasses", Vanuatu Daily Post, 3 December 2010
  12. ^ "Vanuatu’s Natapei ousted in no confidence challenge". Radio New Zealand International. 2 December 2010. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=57430. Retrieved 2010-12-02. 
  13. ^ Cabinet of Vanuatu, CIA, 20 December 2010
  14. ^ "New look Vanuatu government sworn in". Radio New Zealand International. 25 April 2011. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=60202. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  15. ^ "Vanuatu Court decision results in change of government", ABC Radio Australia, 13 May 2011
  16. ^ "Vanuatu Court rules Kilman election void, reinstates Natapei as interim PM". Radio New Zealand International. 16 June 2011. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=61230. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  17. ^ "Vanuatu’s new PM reinstates cabinet". Radio New Zealand International. 27 June 2011. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=61430. Retrieved 25 October 2011.