Vanuatuan general election, 1991

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General elections were held in Vanuatu on 2 December 1991. Ni-Vanuatu voters were invited to elect the 46 members of the national Parliament.

By this date, Walter Lini of the Vanua'aku Pati had been Prime Minister for eleven years, the country's only leader since independence in 1980. Several months before the election, he was replaced by Donald Kalpokas as leader of the Vanua'aku Pati, and formed his own National United Party.

Seven parties contested the election. The Union of Moderate Parties obtained 19 seats, the same number as during the previous election, but this time these were sufficient to place it in the lead. The Vanua'aku Pati and the National United Party obtained ten seats each, marking the VP's first electoral defeat.

With no absolute majority, the UMP formed a ruling coalition with the NUP. Maxime Carlot Korman (UMP) became Vanuatu's first francophone Prime Minister, with NUP co-founder Sethy Regenvanu as deputy Prime Minister.[1] Voter turnout was 71.3%.[2]

Results

Party Votes % Seats +/-
Union of Moderate Parties19,01630.6190
Vanua'aku Pati14,05822.610-15
National United Party12,67220.410New
Melanesian Progressive Party9,56215.44New
Tanunion2,8524.61New
Nagriamel Custom Federation1,8222.91+1
Fren Melanesian Party1,2571.910
New People's Party5880.900
Vanuatu Independent Francophone770.10New
Independents3770.60-1
Invalid/blank votes375---
Total62,556100460
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

  1. MILES, William F.S., Bridging Mental Boundaries in a Postcolonial Microcosm: Identity and Development in Vanuatu, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8248-2048-7, p.25
  2. Nohlen, D, Grotz, F & Hartmann, C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p842 ISBN 0-19-924959-8