Vanuatu
Vanuatu exhibits mid-range performance in Rule of Law and Participation and is high performing in Representation and Rights in the Global State of Democracy framework. It is amongst the world's top 25 per cent with regard to several indicators, but it is amongst the bottom 25 per cent in terms of Gender Equality. Over the last five years, Vanuatu has experienced a notable advance in Access to Justice. Vanuatu is a lower-middle-income country, with an economy based primarily on small-scale agriculture, alongside some fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism. The country’s placement in the Human Development Index (HDI) is the third-lowest among Pacific island nations.
Formerly called the New Hebrides, Vanuatu was a jointly administered British and French territory prior to achieving independence in 1980. Since then, this multiparty parliamentary system has suffered from unstable coalitions and political tumult, often attributed to Vanuatu’s socio-cultural fragmentation and weak parties, leading to a new law being passed to reduce instability. The Ni-Vanuatu comprise the overwhelming majority of the population, but the English-French linguistic divide, regional differences, ideology, and personalism have contributed to partisan troubles. Corruption and clientelism remain major issues that threaten the country’s ability to respond to crises such as frequent natural disasters. Environmental issues loom large, as Vanuatu is one of the countries most affected by climate change and rising sea levels, prompting it to develop a comprehensive action plan in 2022.
Vanuatuan women continue to face significant discrimination, and many live under the specter of domestic violence; however, progress is being made on this front, as new legislation seeks to combat gender-based violence. Despite improvements, additional concerns include a significant underrepresentation of women in politics and a lack of access to modern contraceptives. With these issues largely excluded from the public sphere, the country’s politics have been dominated largely by economic and development issues. Infrastructure, as well as schools and basic services, have all been hampered by limited resources and insufficient investment. Inequality and an uneven distribution of these resources have long been identified as key issues. Given the dispossession of land under colonial rule, land ownership remains a political issue and repeated legislative interventions have been necessary over the years to protect land rights.
One controversial approach to growing the country’s economy has been the Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, which highlights the low tax rates available to investors. Even more hotly debated is the practice of selling citizenships and passports with some Ni-Vanuatu fearing that the policy risks undercutting the value of the national passport and harming relations with other countries as a result of the fact that many unscrupulous figures take advantage of the policy.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how government coalitions impact Effective Parliament, especially considering persistent political instability. Moreover, first moves towards anti-corruption measures, such as the establishment of an anti-corruption commission, could impact Absence of Corruption and Judicial Independence. Vanuatu’s future depends in large part on the world’s response to climate change, and it is leading international diplomatic efforts to obtain a judgement from the International Court of Justice on national obligations to combat it.
Last Updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
March 2025
Government plans to bar naturalised citizens from politics
Vanuatu’s coalition government announced planned electoral reforms on 7 March that would allow only indigenous ni-Vanuatu or “third-generation naturalized citizens“ to run for office. The change would mean that naturalised citizens who are not of ni-Vanuatu descent and their children would be ineligible to run for office, but their grandchildren would be. Passing and implementing the proposed reform is part of the coalition’s initial 100-day plan. Opposition MPs have decried the plan as racist, while the government justified its plans as intended to prevent participants in Vanuatu’s citizenship-by-investment (CBI, also known as a “golden visa”) program from interfering in the country’s politics. However, existing legislation already bars naturalised citizens who retain another citizenship from politics. Vanuatu has two elected officials who are naturalized citizens, both of whom are opposition MPs. As the reform involves a constitutional amendment it must be put to a referendum.
Sources: Vanuatu Daily Post, DevPolicy Blog
January 2025
Vanuatu holds snap election
Vanuatu held snap general elections on 16 January in which no political party won a majority in the 52-seat parliament. While the election was called as a result of persistent political instability in the country, the question of how to rebuild from a major earthquake on 17 December dominated the campaign. The Leaders Party secured the most seats (nine) and announced it had secured a ruling coalition with the Vanua'aku Party, Graon Mo Jastis Party, Reunification Movement for Change, and the Iauko Group on 28 January. Voter turnout was 69.1 per cent, up from 44.2 per cent in the 2022 general election. Contrary to post-election worries that the failure of Gloria Julia King to win re-election would mean that the incoming parliament would be entirely men, Marie Louis Paulette Milne of the Green Confederation Party secured a seat and will replace King as the chamber’s sole woman member.
Snap election brings high turnout
The Vanuatu Electoral Commission reported that turnout in the 2025 snap election was 69 per cent, up from 44 per cent in the previous election in 2022 and the highest since 2008. Pre-election concerns that persistent political instability and the ongoing efforts to recover from the 17 December earthquake would contribute to low voter turnout proved to be unfounded.
Sources: Radio New Zealand, The Daily Post, International IDEA
October 2024
Government to crack down on LGBTQIA+ rights
Vanuatu’s Ministry of Justice and Community Services announced on 31 October plans to draft a National Policy banning LGBTQIA+ advocacy and activities in the country. A committee in the Ministry will create a workplan in November that will guide governmental efforts to prevent LGBTQIA+ advocacy until the full policy is in place in six months’ time. Vanuatu’s National Human Rights Coordinator, Albert Nalpini, stated the decision was made at the behest of Vanuatu’s Council of Ministers, and singled out the local LGBTQIA+ rights non-profit V-Pride as a prime target of the new policy. Legal experts have pointed out any such policy would violate both Vanuatu’s constitution and its obligations under international law.
Sources: Daily Post, Radio New Zealand, Post-Courier
May 2024
Public approves constitutional amendments in referendum
Voters approved two constitutional amendments aimed at improving political stability in a national referendum on 29 May. The amendments aim to bring political stability by weakening the ability of MPs to engage in the kind of behaviour that has made political stability endemic in the country, such as forming single-MP parties and changing partisan affiliation in order to obtain political favours, and in turn strengthen political parties. The two amendments, which were previously approved by parliament in December 2023, (a) require a member of parliament (MP) who leaves or resigns from her/his political party to also vacate the seat in parliament and (b) mandate that MPs who are elected but do not belong to a party join one within three months or vacate the seat. The first amendment was approved with 59 per cent of the vote and the second with 58 per cent. Political instability has long been a problem in Vanuatu, and support for the amendments grew after the country changed prime ministers three times between September and October last year.
Sources: Radio New Zealand, ConstitutionNet, Australian Broadcasting Company
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