1988–89 Vanuatuan by-elections

Legislative by-elections were held in Vanuatu on 12 December 1988 and 28 November 1989 to fill twenty-three vacant seats, including twenty-two made vacant by a political crisis.

Background

The legislative elections of November 1987 were won by the ruling Vanua'aku Pati, which took 26 of the 46 seats in the Parliament of Vanuatu. Walter Lini, Prime Minister of Vanuatu since the country's independence in 1980, remains head of government. The Union of Moderate Parties, led by Vincent Boulekone, won the other 20 seats and remained the parliamentary opposition. Maxime Carlot replaced Vincent Boulekone as leader of the UPM and therefore as leader of the opposition shortly after.

In 1988, five deputies led by Barak Sopé left Vanua'aku Pati and created the Melanesian Progressive Party. TheseThe five were subsequently expelled from Parliament on 24 July 1988 by the Speakers Onneyn Tahi, at the request of the Lini government, invoking a 1983 law that automatically vacates the seats of MPs who change political party during the parliamentary term. Barak Sopé as well as Maxime Carlot then described Walter Lini as a “dictator”, and 18 of the 20 UPM deputies started boycotting Parliament. On 27 July, after being absent from Parliament for three consecutive days, the 18 deputies were also expelled by Tahi, who considered that they had resigned their seats. In September the Supreme Court confirmed the legality of the dismissal of the 23 MPs, opening the way to the holding of by-elections. The only two UPM deputies who are not expelled were Vincent Boulekone and Gaetano Bulewak, who refused the UPM's boycott strategy. They were subsequently excluded from the UMP and founded the Tan Union.

Results

The by-elections for the eighteen seats made vacant by the expulsion of deputies from the Union of Moderate Parties are being held on 12 December 1988, the expulsion of the five dissident Vanua'aku Pati MPs having been suspended by court decision. The UPM and the Melanesian Progressive Party (PPM) are boycotting them. Only Vanua'aku Pati and Union tan present candidates. For nine of the seats, there is only one candidate. The participation rate in constituencies where there are candidates to decide is only around 40%, with opposition supporters following the boycott instructions.

The expulsion of Barak Sopé and his four fellow deputies having finally been confirmed by the courts, partial elections for these five vacant seats are being held on 28 November 1989. Here too, only the Vanua'aku Pati and the Tan Union participated, these elections being boycotted by the UPM and the PPM.

1988 elections

Constituency	Candidate	Party		Votes	%
Ambae	Wilson Tarisevuti		Vanua'aku Pati	1368	85.71
	Jeremiah Lingi Vira		Tan Union	228	14.29
Ambrym	Andrew Welwel		Vanua'aku Pati	1311	73.24
	Talsil Olsen Kai		Tan Union	479	26.76
Banks and Torres	George Baet		Vanua'aku Pati	1342	80.84
	Francis Din		Tan Union	318	19.16
Efate	Tele Taun		Vanua'aku Pati	771	56.90
	Thomas David Tanarango		Vanua'aku Pati	474	34.98
	Andes J. Carlot		Independent	110	8.12
Luganville	J. Kalo Nial		Vanua'aku Pati	647	72.62
	Louis Vatou		Tan Union	201	22.56
	Norman Roslyn		Independent	43	4.83
Malekula	Daniel Nato		Vanua'aku Pati	2414	62.98
	Jown Wesley Tawi		Vanua'aku Pati	1191	31.07
	Ignace Liatlatmal		Tan Union	228	5.95
Port Vila	Kalkot Mataskelekele		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Kalanga Sawia		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Jacobe Joseph		Tan Union	Unopposed
Santo–Malo–Aore	James Vuti		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Robert Sarki		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Daniel Kath		Tan Union	Unopposed
Tanna	Gideon Kota		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Jack Iauko		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
	Jimmy Noanikam		Tan Union	Unopposed
Source:

1989 elections

Constituency	Candidate	Party		Votes	%
Banks and Torres	Cecil Sinker		Vanua'aku Pati	1473	82.99
	Ben Gorqon		Tan Union	302	17.01
Epi	Tangat Yapet		Vanua'aku Pati	Unopposed
Luganville	Seth Russon		Vanua'aku Pati	545	76.22
	Tamos Petro		Tan Union	170	23.78
Malekula	Emile Waniel		Vanua'aku Pati	2985	95.95
	Ignace Liatlatmal		Tan Union	126	4.05
Port Vila	Thomas Faratia Brothy		Vanua'aku Pati	757	80.45
	Gilbert Haul		Tan Union	184	19.55
Santo–Malo–Aore	Louis Vatou		Tan Union	Unopposed
Shepherds	Etchin Shem Masoerangi		Vanua'aku Pati	731	95.68
	Ezekiel Pakoa		Tan Union	33	4.32
Source:

Aftermath

On 16 December 1988, four days after the by-elections, the President Ati George Sokomanu declared Parliament dissolved and announced that early elections would be held in February 1989. The Lini government considered this dissolution to be unconstitutional and did not take it into account. On 18 December, President Sokomanu appoints an “interim government” led by his nephew Barak Sopé. The same day, the Lini government ordered and obtained the arrest of Sokomanu, Sopé and other members of this so-called government. On 19 December, the Supreme Court of Vanuatu declares the actions of President Sokomanu unconstitutional, as the Constitution of Vanuatu does not allow the President to dissolve Parliament on his own initiative, nor to appoint a government which does not have the confidence of Parliament.

In February 1989, the courts sentenced President Sokomanu to six years in prison for inciting mutiny and seditious conspiracy. Barak Sopé and Maxime Carlot are each sentenced to five years in prison, and Willie Jimmy to three years in prison.

In September 1991, Prime Minister Lini is forced to resign following an internal rebellion within his party, and a motion of no confidence against him in Parliament. Donald Kalpokas, new leader of Vanua'aku Pati, becomes Prime Minister ahead of December elections.