Vanuatu Labour Party
Encyclopedia
The Vanuatu Labour Party is a political party
in Vanuatu
. The party was established on June 3, 1987. It was founded on the initiative of various trade union
organizations in order to contest the 1987 parliamentary election
. The proposal to found the party was first presented by Ephraim Kalsakau
, a leader of the Vanuatu Municipal Workers Union.
In the 1987 polls, it presented four candidates; George Kalsakau in Port Vila
, Willy Romain in
Tanna, Thomas Reynold in Luganville
and Kenneth Satungia of
Efate
. All four candidates were trade union leaders. Ephraim Kalsakau later claimed that the electoral participation was mainly intended as an awareness-raising effort, and that the party hadn't expected to win any of the seats.
The party didn't present candidates in the 1991 parliamentary election
.
The party gained parliamentary representation in 2005 as Joshua Kalsakau
, then the Minister for Ni-Vanuatu Business and a MP from Efate representing the National Community Association Party, joined the party.
Joshua Kalsakau is the president of the party whilst Lui Kaltonga is its general secretary.
The party is connected to the Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions
and the Vanuatu National Workers Union. The main stronghold of the party in the capital Port Vila.
Joshua Kalsakau was reelected from his seat in the 2008 parliamentary election
. In Luganville, the party had launched Pierre Malamlaen as its candidate. Malamlaen was however not elected. After the elections, Joshua Kalsakau was named as the new Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Edward Natapei
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Vanuatu
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...
. The party was established on June 3, 1987. It was founded on the initiative of various trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizations in order to contest the 1987 parliamentary election
Vanuatuan general election, 1987
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 30 November 1987. Ni-Vanuatu voters were invited to elect the 46 members of an expanded national Parliament, which had previously held 39 seats....
. The proposal to found the party was first presented by Ephraim Kalsakau
Ephraim Kalsakau
Ephraim Kalsakau is a ni-Vanuatu trade unionist and politician.In 1987, he spearheaded the founding of the Vanuatu Labour Party , to be the political arm of united trade unions...
, a leader of the Vanuatu Municipal Workers Union.
In the 1987 polls, it presented four candidates; George Kalsakau in Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
, Willy Romain in
Tanna, Thomas Reynold in Luganville
Luganville
Luganville, called "Santo" by people from Vanuatu's northern islands who use Luganville as their big city, and called "Kanal" by rural residents of the large island of Espiritu Santo, is the second largest city in Vanuatu. The population is .Luganville is one of Vanuatu's busiest ports,...
and Kenneth Satungia of
Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
. All four candidates were trade union leaders. Ephraim Kalsakau later claimed that the electoral participation was mainly intended as an awareness-raising effort, and that the party hadn't expected to win any of the seats.
The party didn't present candidates in the 1991 parliamentary election
Vanuatuan general election, 1991
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 2 December 1991. Ni-Vanuatu voters were invited to elect the 46 members of the national Parliament....
.
The party gained parliamentary representation in 2005 as Joshua Kalsakau
Joshua Kalsakau
Joshua Kalsakau is a Vanuatuan politician. In 2005 Kalsakau, then the Minister for Ni-Vanuatu Business and an MP from Efate representing the National Community Association Party, joined the Vanuatu Labour Party. Kalsakau became the president of the VLP....
, then the Minister for Ni-Vanuatu Business and a MP from Efate representing the National Community Association Party, joined the party.
Joshua Kalsakau is the president of the party whilst Lui Kaltonga is its general secretary.
The party is connected to the Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions
Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions
The Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions is the sole national trade union center in Vanuatu. It was founded in 1985 and all five unions in Vanuatu are affiliated to it...
and the Vanuatu National Workers Union. The main stronghold of the party in the capital Port Vila.
Joshua Kalsakau was reelected from his seat in the 2008 parliamentary election
Vanuatuan general election, 2008
Parliamentary elections were held in Vanuatu on September 2, 2008. In July, the Melanesian Progressive Party requested that they be postponed, contesting the constitutionality of the Peoples Representation Act No. 33 of 2007, which allegedly enabled voters in certain constituencies to vote in two...
. In Luganville, the party had launched Pierre Malamlaen as its candidate. Malamlaen was however not elected. After the elections, Joshua Kalsakau was named as the new Minister of Justice in the cabinet of 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...
.