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Freedom in the World - Vanuatu (2004)

Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2
Status: Free
Population: 200,000
GNI/Capita: $1,080
Life Expectancy: 67
Religious Groups: Presbyterian (36.7 percent), Anglican (15 percent), Roman Catholic (15 percent), indigenous beliefs (7.6 percent), Seventh-Day Adventist (6.2 percent), Church of Christ (3.8 percent), other (15.7 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Melanesian (98.5 percent), other [including French, Vietnamese, and Chinese (2 percent)
Capital: Port Vila

Ratings Change
Vanuatu's political rights rating declined from 1 to 2 due to a technical reevaluation of the country's political life and electoral process.

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Overview

In 2003, the government passed new laws to deter money laundering. Also during the year, the National Council of Chiefs instituted measures to restrict the free movement of people between provinces.

Vanuatu, an archipelago of 83 islands lying 1,300 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia, was occupied by the British and French under an Anglo-French "condominium" in 1906 until its independence in 1980. This legacy continues to split society along linguistic lines, from politics to religion to economics.

The left leaning Vanua'aku Party led the country from 1980 until 1991. That year, a split within the party allowed Maxime Corlot, leader of the francophone Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) to become Vanuatu's first French-speaking prime minister. After the 1995 elections, Carlot was succeeded by Serge Vohor, who headed a dissident faction of the UMP. Barak Sope took over from Vohor in 1999; Sope was ousted by a no-confidence vote and convicted of a felony two years later. Current prime minister Edward Natapei of the Vanua'aku Party has been in power since 2001, in a coalition government with the UMP. The UMP won the most seats of any party in the May 2002 legislative elections, capturing 15 seats compared to the Vanua'aku Party's 14.

The government has tightened laws to tackle money laundering and tax evasion to protect its offshore banking business. In May 2003, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) removed Vanuatu from the list of uncooperative tax havens for the country's efforts to improve transparency of its tax and regulatory systems and its plan to establish effective exchange of information for tax matters by the end of 2005. The OECD list was created in 2000, and it includes Nauru, the Marshall Islands, and other countries and territories that have insufficient safeguards to prevent tax evasion and money laundering.

In another economic matter, the government passed a new law in January to stop all mixed-race and naturalized citizens from farming kava, a native herb that has gained popularity among health supplement consumers in the West.

In September, the National Council of Chiefs passed a motion to require people to carry permits for movement between provinces because of concerns about crime in the capital.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of Vanuatu can change their government democratically. The constitution provides for parliamentary elections based on universal suffrage once every four years. The 52 members of parliament choose from among themselves a prime minister to lead the government. The prime minister appoints his own cabinet, the Council of Ministers. Members of parliament and the presidents of six provincial governments also form an electoral college to select the president for a five-year term. The president serves as the head of state, a largely ceremonial post. The National Council of Chiefs works in parallel with parliament, exercising authority mainly over language and cultural matters.

In recent years, leadership has changed many times through no-confidence votes, and parliamentary coalitions were formed and dissolved with increasing frequency throughout the 1990s. Fraud and bribery have also been common problems in elections.

The government generally respects freedom of speech and of the press. The weekly Port Vila Press and daily Vanuatu Daily Post provide readers with international, national, and local news, and there is limited government-owned broadcast media available. Most media deliver information in Bismala, English, and French. The number of mobile phone and Internet users is rising, but is still very small because of high costs and difficulties in access outside the capital of Port Vila.

The government generally respects freedom of religion in this predominantly Christian country. There were no reports of restrictions on academic freedom. Port Vila is host to the Emalus Campus of the University of the South Pacific, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate training.

There have been no reports of government restrictions on civil society groups, and nongovernmental organizations are active in a variety of spheres. Many receive support from foreign private foundations and bilateral aid donors. Workers can organize unions and bargain collectively. There are five independent trade unions organized under the umbrella Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions, representing nearly 40 percent of the country's 25,000 workforce.

Although the judiciary is generally independent, it is weak and inefficient. Lack of resources has kept the government from hiring and retaining qualified judges and prosecutors. As a result, criminal defendants are often held for long periods in pretrial detention. Prison conditions are poor for the country's approximately 30 inmates.

Vanuatu has no armed forces. The Vanuatu Mobile Force is a paramilitary wing of the small police force. Both are under the command of a civilian police commissioner. There have been some reports of abuse by the police, but such incidents appear to be infrequent and not widespread or severe.

The vast majority of the population is engaged in either subsistence farming or fishing. Tourism, the civil service, and offshore banking provide employment in the service sector.

Violence against women is common and is particularly severe in rural areas. Spousal rape is not a crime, and no specific law addresses wife beating or sexual harassment. The police and courts display general hesitation to intervene or impose stronger punishment for offenders. Most cases go unreported because women are not aware of their rights, fear reprisal, or are discouraged by family pressure. In the economic sphere, women are largely limited to traditional roles as wives and mothers. Policies drafted as part of a reform program to protect and further the rights of women have not been implemented. Many women's rights leaders consider village chiefs to be major obstacles to improving conditions for women. The practice of "bride price payment," used in the majority of marriages, is also seen to encourage the view of women as property.

Topics: Human rights,