2015 Port Vila by-election

Vanuatu parliamentary no 15 October 2015 Vanua'aku Pati VAN Kenneth Natapei Vanua'aku 4,600 44.95% 31.58pp Ishmael Alatoi Kalsakau opposition (profile).png Ishmael Kalsakau Independent politician 3,205 31.32% 27.70pp MP Edward Natapei Vanua'aku Kenneth Natapei Vanua'aku A by-election to the Parliament of Vanuatu was held in the constituency of Port-Vila (the capital city) on 15 October 2015. It followed the death of sitting MP (former Prime Minister, and incumbent Leader of the Opposition"Queues form to vote in Vanuatu by-election", Radio New Zealand, 15 October 2015) Edward Natapei, of the centre-left Vanua'aku Pati. Natapei died after a long illness in July. Although Port-Vila is a multi-member constituency, only one seat was vacant, and therefore only one new member was elected. Candidates The parliamentary Opposition parties (Vanua'aku Pati, National United Party, Melanesian Progressive Party, Land and Justice Party, Nagriamel, and Reunification Movement for Change) agreed to endorse a single candidate: Natapei's eldest son, Kenneth Natapei, also of the Vanua'aku Pati. On the government side, the Union of Moderate Parties (centre-right) also initially endorsed Kenneth Natapei,"Young Natapei is VP candidate for by-election", Vanuatu Daily Post, 1 September 2015"Kenneth Natapei nominated for Port Vila By-Election 2015", Yumi Toktok Street, 20 August 2015Vanuatu Daily News Digest https://web.archive.org/web/20150919034200/https://vanuatudaily.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/vanuatu-daily-news-digest-4-september-2015/ 2015-09-19 , 4 September 2015 before putting forward its own candidate. Ultimately, five other candidates took part in the election alongside Natapei : Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau (independent), Nadia Kanegai (People's Progressive Party), Allan Carlot (Natatok), Georgie Calo (Union of Moderate Parties) and Jocelyn Mete (independent)."Six candidates for Port Vila by-election", Vanuatu Daily Post, 12 September 2015 Results With a low turnout (approx. 27.6%), Kenneth Natapei was declared the winner by a clear margin."Kenneth Natapei unofficial winner in Vanuatu by-election", Radio New Zealand, 16 October 2015"UNOFFICIAL RESULTS IN NATAPEI'S FAVOUR", Vanuatu Daily Post, 16 October 2015 Following the unseating of fourteen members of Parliament upon conviction for bribery, however, President Baldwin Lonsdale dissolved Parliament on 24 November, and called a snap general election. Natapei had not yet been sworn in."Former Vanuatu MP continues serving people despite dissolution", Radio New Zealand, 26 November 2015 He held his seat in the ensuing general election, which also saw by-election candidate Ishmael Kalsakau feature among Port-Vila's six elected representatives."Official results – 2016 Vanuatu General Election" https://web.archive.org/web/20160310120456/https://vanuatudaily.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/official-results-2016-vanuatu-general-election/ 2016-03-10 , Vanuatu Daily Digest, 1 February 2016 Kenneth Natapei Vanua'aku Pati 4600 Ishmael Kalsakau Independent 3205 Nadia Kanegai People's Progressive Party 974 Georgie Calo Union of Moderate Parties 918 Allan Carlot Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party 380 Jocelyn Mete Independent 156 3 37324 References Category:2015 elections in Oceania Category:2015 in Vanuatu Category:By-elections to the Parliament of Vanuatu Category:October 2015 in Oceania