Iolu Abil
Encyclopedia
Iolu Johnson Abil is a Vanuatu
an politician
. He was elected and sworn in as the President of Vanuatu
on 2 September 2009.
. He was born in the village of Lauaneai on Tanna in the New Hebrides
in 1942 to parents George Yavinian and Nassaiu. His father originally owned his own store, but closed the business after Iolu later suggested the family join a business cooperative
.
Abil holds the chiefly title of Yaniniko, which means chief's spokesman on the island of Tanna. His hereditary title
was granted to him by his grandfather, Joe Yautim, who was a Yaramara, or chief
, on Tanna. Abil's father, George Yavinian, was also a chief, but had not been granted the right to be a chiefly spokesperson as of the early 1980s.
Abil attended the local Lenakel
village elementary school
on his home island of Tanna. He next enrolled at Lenakel Senior Primary School, which he attended from 1956 until 1958. He graduated from Onesua High School.
He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu.
and Fiji
during the 1960s. He then became a student at the Loughborough International Co-operative College
in the United Kingdom
for two years.
Abil completed three months of administration and management courses at the University of the South Pacific
in Suva, Fiji, in 1973.
He served in the Cabinet member
in the first post-independence government of Prime Minister Walter Lini
, thereby becoming Vanuatu's first Secretary of the Ministry of Lands.
Iolu Abil was appointed as the interim
Ombudsman
of Vanuatu in November 2004, following the departure of Hannington Alatoa, whose term in office had expired in June 2004. Abil served as interim Ombudsman until April 2005 when Peter Taurakoto was appointed to a five-year term by President Kalkot Mataskelekele
.
Abil has also held a number of positions within the private sector
, including as chairman of Air Vanuatu
.
on 2 September 2009. Abil was elected on the electoral college's third round of voting in two days. No candidate had garnered the required two-thirds of the vote in electoral college in previous two rounds of voting.
Several members of parliament within Prime Minister Edward Natapei
's governing coalition had supported former President Kalkot Mataskelekele
in the first two rounds of the election. Mataskelekele's five-year term as President had ended on 16 August 2009, and he had been renominated for a second term. However, all members of Natapei coalition had unanimously agreed to support Abil in the third round on 2 September 2009.
Abil defeated six other candidates who had been nominated for president in the electoral college's third round. With the support of Prime Minister Natapei, he secured 41 votes within the 58-member electoral college, which won the presidency of Vanuatu. He was sworn in as President of Vanuatu on the evening of 2 September 2009.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
an politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was elected and sworn in as the President of Vanuatu
President of Vanuatu
The President of Vanuatu is the head of state of Vanuatu. The President is elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils.The President's role is mostly ceremonial...
on 2 September 2009.
Personal life
Abil is from Tanna island, which is located in Vanuatu's southernmost Tafea ProvinceTafea Province
Tafea is the southernmost province of Vanuatu. The name is an acronym for the five main islands that make up the province:1) including Goat Island and Vete Manung Island...
. He was born in the village of Lauaneai on Tanna in the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
in 1942 to parents George Yavinian and Nassaiu. His father originally owned his own store, but closed the business after Iolu later suggested the family join a business cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
.
Abil holds the chiefly title of Yaniniko, which means chief's spokesman on the island of Tanna. His hereditary title
Hereditary Title
Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families....
was granted to him by his grandfather, Joe Yautim, who was a Yaramara, or chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, on Tanna. Abil's father, George Yavinian, was also a chief, but had not been granted the right to be a chiefly spokesperson as of the early 1980s.
Abil attended the local Lenakel
Lenakel
Lenakel is the largest town on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu. It is located on the west coast of the island near the administrative capital of Isangel and serves as a major port of entry. It is the center of the Lenakel language, one of the five Tanna languages native to the island; Vanuatu's...
village elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on his home island of Tanna. He next enrolled at Lenakel Senior Primary School, which he attended from 1956 until 1958. He graduated from Onesua High School.
He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu.
Career
Abil joined the British National Service as a cooperative inspector in 1964. He also took a job with the New Hebrides Cooperative Department in 1964, a position he held for the next sixteen years. He enrolled in cooperative development training courses in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
during the 1960s. He then became a student at the Loughborough International Co-operative College
Co-operative College
The Co-operative College is a University in the United Kingdom which provides "inspirational learning and resources based on co-operative values and principles for individuals and organisations to support the development of sustainable co-operative, mutual and social enterprises throughout the world"...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for two years.
Abil completed three months of administration and management courses at the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
in Suva, Fiji, in 1973.
He served in the Cabinet member
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
in the first post-independence government of Prime Minister Walter Lini
Walter Lini
Father Walter Hadye Lini was an Anglican priest and the founding Prime Minister of Vanuatu. He was born on Pentecost Island. During the era when Vanuatu was a condominium ruled by the United Kingdom and France, Lini formed the Vanua'aku Pati, which was principally backed by English-speakers...
, thereby becoming Vanuatu's first Secretary of the Ministry of Lands.
Iolu Abil was appointed as the interim
Interim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
of Vanuatu in November 2004, following the departure of Hannington Alatoa, whose term in office had expired in June 2004. Abil served as interim Ombudsman until April 2005 when Peter Taurakoto was appointed to a five-year term by President Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele Mauliliu was President of Vanuatu from 16 August 2004 to 16 August 2009.He was educated at Scotch College Melbourne the University of Papua New Guinea. He is a lawyer from the national capital, Port Vila, and is the first Head of State of Vanuatu to have a university degree...
.
Abil has also held a number of positions within the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
, including as chairman of Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...
.
President of Vanuatu
Abil was elected President by Vanuatu’s 58-member electoral collegeElectoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
on 2 September 2009. Abil was elected on the electoral college's third round of voting in two days. No candidate had garnered the required two-thirds of the vote in electoral college in previous two rounds of voting.
Several members of parliament within Prime Minister Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
's governing coalition had supported former President Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele
Kalkot Mataskelekele Mauliliu was President of Vanuatu from 16 August 2004 to 16 August 2009.He was educated at Scotch College Melbourne the University of Papua New Guinea. He is a lawyer from the national capital, Port Vila, and is the first Head of State of Vanuatu to have a university degree...
in the first two rounds of the election. Mataskelekele's five-year term as President had ended on 16 August 2009, and he had been renominated for a second term. However, all members of Natapei coalition had unanimously agreed to support Abil in the third round on 2 September 2009.
Abil defeated six other candidates who had been nominated for president in the electoral college's third round. With the support of Prime Minister Natapei, he secured 41 votes within the 58-member electoral college, which won the presidency of Vanuatu. He was sworn in as President of Vanuatu on the evening of 2 September 2009.