Vanuatu 1999

In 1999, the population of Vanuatu was estimated to be over 199,000 people. The majority of the population were Melanesian and there were also minorities of Europeans, Chinese, Vietnamese and Polynesians. The economy was mainly based on agriculture with copra as the main export crop. Other exports included beef, cocoa and timber. Foreign relations in 1999 saw Vanuatu strengthen ties with countries in the Pacific region such as Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. It also had diplomatic relations with other countries such as China, France and Japan. Politically, Vanuatu was a parliamentary democracy with a Prime Minister heading the government. Universal suffrage existed for all citizens over 20 years old and elections were held every four years. The Prime Minister at this time was Donald Kalpokas who had been in power since 1991. See ethnicityology for Vanuatu in the year of 2018.

Yearbook 1999

Vanuatu 1999

Vanuatu. Visit Countryaah official website to get information about the capital city of Vanuatu. Vanuatu’s former prime minister, Anglican priest Walter Lini, passed away in February. He was regarded as the father of the nation and played an important role in the country, then called the New Hebrides, the struggle for independence from colonial rulers Britain and France. When the goal was reached in 1980, he became the first prime minister of the small kingdom.

  • Also see Abbreviationfinder.org to see the acronym of VUT which stands for Vanuatu and other definitions of this 3-letter abbreviation.

Map of Vanuatu Port Vila in English

Vanuatu authorities rejected a claim during the year from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that criminals from the Russian Federation used Vanuatu banks to launder black money.

In February 1984, President Ati George Sokomanu resigned, declaring that the Constitution did not adequately protect the Head of State or his ministers. After the government crisis, he still ran for the election a month later – and was re-elected.

Under Vanuatu’s second development plan (1987-91), work was done on balanced regional and agricultural development, better utilization of the country’s natural resources, forced development of human resources and strengthening of private business. The plan was badly affected by the cyclone Uma, which in February 1987 caused $ 36 million in damage and affected 34% of the population.

At the December 1987 election, Lini won over Barak Sope, who had challenged him around the party’s leadership. Barak Sope accepted the post of Minister of Tourism and Emigration, but in May 1988, Lini removed him from this post, following violent demonstrations on his part. Sope ended up opting out of the ruling party and forming his own political group: Melanesia’s Progressive Party (MPP).

In 1988, President Sokomau together with Barak Sope tried in vain to overthrow Prime Minister Walter Lini. They were both detained and sent to jail. Fred Timakata was elected new president.

On August 7, 1991, the ruling party itself decided to remove its chairman, Walter Lini, from the post of prime minister. He was replaced by Donald Kalpokas, who had been Foreign Minister until then. In October, Lini formed his own party, the United National Party (UNP), but in the December 2 election, Maxime Carlot Korman’s Union won the Moderate Parties.

In January 1992, Carlot formed a coalition with the UNP, and Lini was represented in the government by his sister, Hilda, who became Minister of Health. During the same period, French was introduced as the official language. In his economic policy, Finance Minister Willy Jimmy emphasized exports, foreign investment, land reform and the introduction of free primary school education.

In 1993, Prime Minister Carlot set a target to increase diversity in agricultural production. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce heads were planted to reduce the impact of the cyclone Betsy, which had destroyed 30% of the harvest the previous year. At the same time, the possibilities of growing sugar cane, pumpkin and vanilla were investigated. Crops that had never been planted in the country before. The project was supported by parties Na-Griamel, Namaki Aute, Unión Tan and Fren Melanesia, who represented the peasants of the islands of Espíritu Santo and Malakula.

In 1994, the government decided to fire 200 of the 4,800 civil servants. The reasoning for the firing was the drastic increase in the number of civil servants from 1985, when the figure was 3,300.

Foreign policy, Vanuatu was the only country in the South Pacific Forum that did not object to the French nuclear tests in Polynesia.

In August, Vanuatus Mobile Force (VMF) – a paramilitary corps – went on strike because it had not been paid its salaries. Three months later, its officers were arrested by police, but after swearing allegiance was released again.

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