Vanuatu election: One woman secures seat in new parliament amid five-party coalition govt

Vanuatu's snap election has resulted in former Deputy Prime Minister Jotham Napat's party winning the most seats. However, those seats are still short of a majority.

Only one woman, Marie Louise Milne, secured a seat, making Port Vila's deputy mayor the only female in the 52-seat parliament.

The snap election was held on 16 January despite a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that devastated the capital, Port Vila, a week before Christmas.

The 17 December quake claimed 14 lives, injured over 200 people, and displaced thousands more.

The results of the latest election poll suggest that the previous government may be reinstated.

Gloria Julia King, the sole female MP from the last parliament, missed out.

Gender disparity in Vanuatu's politics is not a new issue. The country went over a decade without a female MP before King's election in 2022.

A five-way coalition government, featuring caretaker prime minister Charlot Salwai, climate advocate Ralph Regenvanu, and popular leader Napat, is expected to form.

Stevenson Liu, head of news at Vanuatu's Broadcasting and Television Corporation, says it remains uncertain who will lead the coalition as the next prime minister.

Ni-Vanuatu voters have returned to a minority parliament, with representation from 12 parties. Photo/Christopher Malili

"On Wednesday night, the Vanuatu Elections Office (VEO) announced the final count for the January 16 election," he told Pacific Mornings.

He said the last two weeks were spent transporting ballots from across the 80 islands of the Melanesian archipelago to Port Vila, where the votes were recounted and verified.

Liu said ni-Vanuatu voters have returned to a minority parliament, with representation from 12 parties.

The Napat-led Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) holds the most seats with nine MPs and two affiliates.

An established coalition between the LPV, Salwai's Reunification Movement for Change Party, and Regenvanu's Land and Justice Party, with five MPs each, has not achieved a majority.

Caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai called for the snap election in November, opting to dissolve parliament rather than confront opposition challenges to his leadership. Photo/file

But in the closed-door negotiations that followed the election, this group gained the support of the Vanua'aku Party, with seven seats, and the Eagle Group, with six seats, created a five-way coalition with 32 MPs.

Liu says the "real test" will be how these parties manage their relationships and whether they can withstand the challenges of governing.

"Vanuatu has had up to 10-party coalitions in the past so having five is quite comfortable for us.

"But with such a diverse set of political backgrounds, there could be differences in policy priorities."

Instability has been another defining feature of ni-Vanuatu politics in recent decades, with changing allegiances and regular no-confidence motions leading to 20 changes in prime ministers this century, including three in the last five years.

The 17 December earthquake left at least 14 people dead, over 200 injured, and thousands more displaced. Photos/Supplied

Salwai called for the snap election in November, opting to dissolve parliament rather than confront opposition challenges to his leadership.

The vote was official after Vanuatu's President Nikenike Vurobaravu dissolved parliament in response to a no-confidence motion against himself and Salwai.

While Salwai won his seat in the Pentecost constituency, it is uncertain whether he will remain prime minister, as the government positions are renegotiated after each election.

The parties have been negotiating these positions since 16 January.

Despite concerns about voter fears due to the recent earthquake, Liu said the Vanuatu Elections Office recorded a "healthy turnout" with more than 148,000 votes cast, an increase from 133,000 in 2022.