Ham Lini

Ham Lini
Prime Minister of Vanuatu
In office 11 December 2004 – 22 September 2008
President	Kalkot Mataskelekele
Deputy	Edward Natapei
Preceded by	Serge Vohor
Succeeded by	Edward Natapei
Constituency	Pentecost, Penama
Personal details
Born	(1951-12-08) 8 December 1951 Pentecost, New Hebrides
Political party	VNUP
Spouse(s)	Ruth Lini

Ham Lini Vanuaroroa (born 8 December 1951) is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in Penama Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008, and is the current Deputy Prime Minister since 16 May 2014. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu. Ham Lini is the current leader of the National United Party (VNUP). He lost his seat as a Member of Parliament in the 2016 snap elections after parliament was dissolved.

Prime Minister of Vanuatu

The VNUP became the largest party in parliament in the July 2004 parliamentary elections, with 10 of 52 seats. Ham Lini became a candidate for Prime Minister, but was defeated by Serge Vohor, though Lini also had the support of the largest faction of the Vanua'aku Pati, led by outgoing Prime Minister Edward Natapei. He continued to dispute the results and lead the opposition to the Vohor government until 20 August 2004, when Vohor and Lini formed a National Unity Government, in which Vohor remained Prime Minister and Lini became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs.

In December 2004, Vohor was ousted after only a few months in office in a no confidence vote for unilaterally establishing relations with Taiwan (Republic of China), and Lini was elected Prime Minister by the Parliament.^[1] One of Lini's first actions after taking office was the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.^[1]

On 21 March 2006, Lini survived a no confidence vote in Parliament by a vote of 30 to 20.^[2] The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Serge Vohor, had accused the Lini government of weaknesses from a controversial proposal to monopolize kava exports.^[2] The Opposition had believed that some parliament members who had supported the government would defect, but few did.^[2]

Lini and Vanuatu's council of ministers declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Port Vila in March 2007 following tribal clashes between people from the islands of Tanna and Ambrym.^[3] The clashes, which took place in Blacksands squatter settlement area on the outskirts of Port Vila, killed two people.^[3] The fighting broke out when people from Tanna alleged that an Ambrym man used black magic to harm a Tannese person.^[3]

Subsequent political career

Lini failed to gain a second term as Prime Minister after his National United Party suffered losses in Parliament during the general election held on 2 September 2008,^[1] although he was re-elected to his own parliamentary seat.^[4] Edward Natapei of the Vanuaku Pati narrowly defeated his nearest opponent, Maxime Carlot Korman, leader of the Vanuatu Republican Party, with 27 votes to 25 votes in Parliament in a vote three weeks later on 22 September, succeeding Lini as Prime Minister.^[1]

Natapei pledged to continue many of Lini's policies and incorporate them in his new government.^[1] These included anti-corruption measures, transparency, political stability and good governance.^[1] Natapei named Lini to his cabinet as Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities on 22 September 2008.^[5]

In Natapei's first reshuffle Lini was given the post of Minister of Justice & Social Welfare whilst remaining as Deputy Prime Minister. However, in Natapei second major cabinet reshuffle, which took place in November 2009, Lini was removed as Deputy Prime Minister and replaced by Sato Kilman.^[6] Natapei had learned that Lini's Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party were planning a vote of no confidence measure against him.^[6] In response to the no confidence plan, Natapei sacked half his cabinet members, including Lini, and removed the Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party from his cabinet, replacing them with sixteen members of the opposition.^[6]

Ham Lini returned to government when Sato Kilman became Prime Minister on 2 December 2010, having ousted Natapei in a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Kilman appointed Lini Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Minister for Trade, Commerce, Industries and Tourism.^[7][8] Lini held the position until 24 April 2011, when Kilman was in turn ousted in turn in a vote of no confidence, and replaced by Serge Vohor. Vohor did not appoint Lini to his cabinet.^[9]

Three weeks later, however, on 13 May, Vohor's election and premiership were voided by the Court of Appeal, and the Kilman government was restored, complete with Ham Lini as Deputy Prime Minister.^[10] This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Lini lost office once more.^[11] He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.^[12] Kilman's government fell on 21 March 2013 when it lost the confidence of Parliament, and Lini found himself in Opposition to Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil's new government.^[13]

On 15 May 2014, Carcasses was ousted in a motion of no confidence. New Prime Minister Joe Natuman appointed Lini his Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Commerce.^[14] Lini lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence.^[15]

References

Prime Ministers of Vanuatu
W. Lini Kalpokas Korman Vohor Korman Vohor Kalpokas Sopé Natapei Vohor H. Lini Natapei Vohor (Acting) Natapei Kilman (voided) Vohor (voided) Kilman (voided) Natapei (Acting) Kilman Kalosil Natuman Kilman Salwai