The Cabinet of Vanuatu (formally the Council of Ministers of Vanuatu) is the cabinet (executive branch) of the government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The Constitution of Vanuatu (Art. 39(1)) specifies that "[t]he executive power of the people of the Republic of Vanuatu is vested in the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers". The number of Ministers must not "exceed a quarter of the number of members of Parliament" (Art. 40(2)). The prime minister, who is directly elected by Parliament, appoints other ministers from among the members of Parliament (Art. 42(1)). The council is "collectively responsible to Parliament" (Art. 43(1)).
Current cabinet (October 2023–present) +PortfolioMemberPartyPrime MinisterCharlot SalwaiReunification Movement for Change
Past cabinets
Natapei Cabinet, 2008–10 This Cabinet resulted initially from the September 2008 general election. The following month, the council was reshuffled to offer positions to the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), which joined the ruling coalition."NUP and UMP lift cloud of uncertainty" , Vanuatu Daily Post, 3 October 2008 In June 2009, the election to Parliament of Bakoa Kaltongga (the Minister for Foreign Affairs) was invalidated by the Supreme Court, leading to his dismissal from the Council of Ministers. On that occasion, Prime Minister Edward Natapei reshuffled his Cabinet again."Natapei makes further reshuffle" , Vanuatu Daily Post, 22 June 2009"Composition du gouvernement de la République du Vanuatu", French Ministry of Foreign Affairs In December 2009, a new reshuffle produced the following Cabinet:Composition of Cabinet , Parliament of Vanuatu website. Retrieved January 2010"Natapei fires NUP, brings in Alliance", Vanuatu Daily Post, 19 November 2009
Portfolio Minister Party Constituency Prime MinisterMinister of Public Service Edward Natapei Vanua'aku Pati Port Vila Deputy Prime MinisterMinister of Trades, Commerce and Industry Sato Kilman People's Progress Party Malekula Minister of Justice and Women's Affairs Bakoa Kaltonga Vanua'aku Pati Efate Minister of Finance and Economic Management Sela Molisa Vanua'aku Pati Santo Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Paul Telukluk Namangi Aute Malekula Minister of Internal Affairs,Minister of Labour Moana Carcasses Kalosil Green Port Vila Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities Serge Vohor Union of Moderate Parties Santo Minister of Education Charlot Salwai Union of Moderate Parties Pentecost Minister of Health Moses Kahu Vanua'aku Pati Tanna Minister of Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Telecommunications Joe Natuman Vanua'aku Pati Tanna Minister of Agriculture Steven Kalsakau Union of Moderate Parties Efate Minister of Ni-Vanuatu Business Dunstan Hilton People's Progress Party Banks & Torres Minister of Sports and Youth Development Raphael Worwor Union of Moderate Parties Ambrym
Kilman Cabinet, 2010–11 On 2 December 2010, Edward Natapei's government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, and Parliament elected Sato Kilman to replace him. Kilman's initial appointments to his Cabinet are given below.Cabinet of Vanuatu, CIA, 20 December 2010"New govt", Vanuatu Daily Post, 7 December 2010
A few days later, a reshuffle took place when members of the Union of Moderate Parties accepted positions in Cabinet in exchange for withdrawing their support from an immediate motion of no confidence in the new government. Charlot Salwai, vice-president of the UMP, replaced Yoan Simon as Minister for Education; and Serge Vohor, President of the UMP, replaced Harry Iauko (a dissident member of the Vanua'aku Pati"Renegade Vanua’aku Pati MP sides with Vanuatu opposition" , Radio New Zealand International, 21 May 2010) as Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities. Simon became Minister for Justice, replacing Alfred Carlot, who lost his seat in Cabinet, while Iauko became Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, replacing Paul Telukluk (the only Namangi Aute MP), who was also removed from Cabinet.
On 10 February 2011, Vohor and Salwai both resigned, along with Minister for Agriculture Marcellino Pipite, of the Republican Party; all three wished to protest over their respective parties having fewer seats in Cabinet then they had asked for. (The Republican Party had lost one when Carlot was removed in the reshuffle.) Following Vohor and Salwai's resignation from the government, the UMP announced it was joining the opposition once again, supporting Edward Natapei in his bid to reclaim the premiership by ousting Kilman in a new motion of "no confidence".
On 18 February, there was another reshuffle, to consolidate the government's majority prior to an expected vote on a motion of confidence in Parliament. Backbencher Esmon Sae was appointed Minister for ni-Vanuatu business, replacing Ralph Regenvanu, who became instead Minister for Lands. Backbencher James Wango was appointed Minister for Agriculture, while Marcellino Pipite, who had rejoined the government, was appointed Minister for Education.
On 10 March, Kilman sacked Justice Minister Yoan Simon, who had "reportedly backed the opposition's plans for a motion of no confidence". To shore up the coalition, the Republican Party was invited to join the government once more. The Republican Party demanded the Lands Ministry, which Kilman consequently offered to Alfred Carlot. This meant reshuffling Lands Minister Ralph Regenvanu to the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs."Composition du gouvernement de la République du Vanuatu", French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2011
+ Initial Kilman Cabinet Portfolio Minister Party Constituency Prime Minister Sato Kilman People's Progress Party Malekula Deputy Prime MinisterMinister of Trade, Commerce, Industries and Tourism Ham Lini National United Party Pentecost Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Quarantine and Fisheries Marcellino Pipite Republican Party Santo Minister of Cooperatives and Ni-Vanuatu Business Development Ralph Regenvanu Land and Justice Party Port Vila Minister of Education Yoanne Simon Labour Party Epi Minister of Finance and Economic Management Moana Carcasses Kalosil Green Port Vila Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade George Wells National United Party Luganville Minister of Health Don Ken Independent Malekula Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities Harry Iauko Vanua'aku Pati Tanna Minister of Internal Affairs Dunstan Hilton People's Progress Party Banks/Torres Minister of Justice Alfred Carlot Republican Party Efate Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Paul Telukluk Namangi Aute Malekula Minister of Youth and Sports Morkin StevensNational United Party Tanna
+ Cabinet after final reshuffle, March 2011 Portfolio Minister Party Constituency Prime Minister Sato Kilman People's Progress Party Malekula Deputy Prime MinisterMinister of Trade, Commerce, Industries and Tourism Ham Lini National United Party Pentecost Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Quarantine and Fisheries James Wango People's Progress Party Ambae Minister of Cooperatives and Ni-Vanuatu Business Development Esmon Sae Melanesian Progressive Party Malekula Minister of Education Marcellino Pipite Republican Party Santo Minister of Finance and Economic Management Moana Carcasses Kalosil Green Port Vila Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade George Wells National United Party Luganville Minister of Health Don Ken Independent Malekula Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities Harry Iauko Vanua'aku Pati Tanna Minister of Internal Affairs Dunstan Hilton People's Progress Party Banks/Torres Minister of Justice and Social Affairs Ralph Regenvanu Land and Justice Party Port Vila Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Alfred Carlot Republican Party Efate Minister of Youth and Sports Morkin Stevens National United Party Tanna
Vohor Cabinet, April–May 2011 On 24 April 2011 (Easter Sunday), Parliament ousted Prime Minister Sato Kilman by twenty-six votes to twenty-five in a motion of no confidence. The Opposition had not formally proposed a candidate to replace him, and Parliament elected Serge Vohor (Union of Moderate Parties) as new prime minister. It was Vohor's fourth accession to the premiership."Vohor takes Vanuatu's top job but instability expected to continue", ABC Radio Australia, 25 April 2011 He quickly named his new Cabinet (detailed below). Other than Vohor himself, it included only one minister from the Union of Moderate Parties (Charlot Salwai, who was given the Education portfolio), whereas the Vanua'aku Pati received four ministries. Eta Rory, the only woman in Parliament, was appointed Minister for Agriculture."Vohor leads new govt" , Vanuatu Daily Post, 26 April 2011
However, Serge Vohor's election as prime minister, and therefore both his term in office and the tenure of his Cabinet, was voided by the Court of Appeal on 13 May. The Court deemed that his election was unconstitutional as he had only received votes from one-half of the members of Parliament (26 out of 52), rather than by an absolute majority.
Portfolio Minister Party Constituency Prime Minister Serge Vohor Union of Moderate Parties Santo Deputy Prime Minister Joshua Kalsakau Labour Party Efate Minister for Foreign Affairs Joe Natuman Vanua'aku Pati Tanna Minister for Trade Sela Molisa Vanua'aku Pati Santo Minister for Agriculture Eta Rory Family First Party Malekula Minister of Finance Bakoa Kaltongga Vanua'aku Pati Efate Minister for Health Willie Reuben Abel Vanua'aku Pati Tongoa Minister for Lands Dominique Morin Republican Party Luganville Minister for Internal Affairs Patrick Crowby National United Party Port Vila Minister for Education Charlot Salwai Union of Moderate Parties Pentecost Minister for Justice Ioan Simon Labour Party Epi Minister for Ni-Vanuatu Business Paul Telukluk Namangi Aute Malekula Minister for Sports Thomas Isom National United Party Banks/Torres
Kilman Cabinet, May–June 2011 Following the voiding of Serge Vohor's brief premiership by the Court of Appeal on 13 May, the premiership reverted to its previous holder: Sato Kilman. Ralph Regenvanu stated that the ousted Kilman Cabinet was thereby fully restored: "Sato and his ministers remain the cabinet of Vanuatu and have always been. [...] [W]e have now taken back our offices." Kilman's restored government, however, was supported only by twenty-four Members of Parliament, while Vohor was believed to have the support of twenty-seven, leaving Kilman's coalition in a precarious position."Vanuatu Court decision results in change of government", ABC Radio Australia, 13 May 2011
Over the following days, the government's side was somewhat strengthened as two members of Parliament defected from the Opposition, and were given Cabinet portfolios. Stephen Kalsakau (of Vohor's Union of Moderate Parties) switched sides a day after the Kilman government was restored, and was appointed Minister for Lands. On 17 May, Willie Reuben Abel joined the government as Minister for Health, replacing Don Ken, who was reshuffled to the ministry of ni-Vanuatu affairs."Number crunching in Vanuatu ahead of leadership vote" , Australia Network News, 18 May 2011 Willie Reuben Abel was a member of the Vanua'aku Pati, but did not recognise the party's leadership, choosing instead to follow dissident leader Harry Iauko."Tongoa MP back with Iauko", Vanuatu Daily Post, 7 February 2011 This 17 May Cabinet lasted until the Kilman premiership was voided the following month.
On 20 May, the government weathered a motion of no confidence, emerging with the support of 27 MPs—a majority of one. Kilman noted the potential for more instability if floor-crossing were to occur, adding that in that case, "we cannot have instability for the next twelve months, [so] it w[ould] be in the interest of the country to go back to elections, as soon as possible"."Vanuatu's ruling alliance survives parliamentary vote", ABC Radio Australia, 20 May 2011