Vanuatu - Leadership



Natapei is seen as a man of integrity and has the approval of Vanuatu's business community as well as of the tribal chiefs. He appears dedicated to the ideal of public service; he has been quoted as stating that the majority of Parliament is not serious enough about their work, that they are easily swayed by outside interests, financial and otherwise. Openly critical of the previous prime minister, Barak Sope, Natapei's government in late 2001 was preparing to charge Sope with forgery associated with his improperly signing letters of guarantee in the amount of $23 million for Asian businessman Amarendra Nath Ghosh. In 2002 Sope was convicted and jailed on charges of fraud.

As the 2 May 2002 election date approached, 136 independent candidates registered to contest the election. Political analysts outside the country saw a Natapei government as providing the greatest chance of stability in the country. His governing coalition, however, underwent a couple of last-minute shake-ups in the weeks preceding the election. On 23 April the opposition National United Party signed an agreement to join the coalition, but disagreements over the assignment of cabinet posts prompted the party to pull out a week later. Natapei was returned to office in the election, although his Vanua'aku party had a weaker showing than the Union of Moderate Parties, its partner in the governing coalition.

The anticorruption group Transparency International Vanuatu expressed concerns regarding possible election fraud. To ensure fairness in the election, Natapei endorsed the group as official observers, and indicated he welcomed the monitoring, as it would provide the people of Vanuatu with a fair election.

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