Vanuatu voters will head into a snap election within the next 60 days after President Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolved parliament, earlier this week.
It’s the fifth change in government since 2022, and widespread public disappointment has been reported as dissolutions and petitions of no confidence continue to disrupt the running of the country.
Early this year, Vanuatu voted for a referendum to change the constitution and stop political instability in Parliament.
“To be honest, nobody expected there to be a dissolution of parliament,” said Mike Esrome Kaun, who assisted the campaign for a successful yes vote at the referendum.
“This is disappointing, a stumbling block that has effected life here… I just hang my head in shame when I think about people living with disability and the vulnerable groups and the communities,” he said.
Eligible voters in Vanuatu will head to the polls to elect 52 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the upcoming snap election set for January 2025.
Caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, confirmed the election schedule to the Vanuatu Daily Post
While the exact date is yet to be officially confirmed, the election must take place no later than 18 January 2025, following the dissolution of Parliament by Head of State Nikenike Vurobaravu on 18 November 2024.
Under the Constitution, elections must occur no fewer than 30 days and no more than 60 days after Parliament’s dissolution.
As 18 January 2025, falls on a Saturday, the snap election will likely be scheduled for an earlier weekday.
President Vurobaravu’s decision to dissolve Parliament—his second such action in just two years—effectively removed the motion threat against him and the outgoing Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai.
Many former MPs in the 13th Legislature now face intense pressure to secure funds and launch campaigns during the rapidly approaching festive period.
The short election campaign window, combined with widespread voter disillusionment over ongoing political instability and unresolved national issues, means political parties will need more than just funds to succeed.
Vanuatu’s political landscape remains unstable, with confidence motions and power struggles between political parties repeatedly obstructing public services, economic development, and national progress.
The President’s dissolution decision, made on the advice of the Council of Ministers, has been met with strong criticism due to its timing and his second such action in two years.
However, some view the dissolution as justified, noting that the most recent motion marks the fifth motion introduced during the 13th Legislature.
The Opposition group is challenging the President’s decision in court as the Government remains in caretaker mode.
