Esmon Esai Saimon, also referred to as Esmon Sae (born 28 October 1955),"Vanuatu PM wants constitution amended", Pacific Islands News Association, February 21, 2011"31 MPs vote for pay rise" , Vanuatu Daily Post, November 23, 2010 is a Vanuatuan politician. From 11 February 2016 to 6 September 2019 he was Speaker of the Parliament, and in that role from 17 June 2017 to 6 July 2017 served as the acting president of Vanuatu upon the death of Baldwin Lonsdale.
Career He worked first as Secretary to the South West Bay Cooperative Society, from 1978 to 1982, then went into private business (in "retail and fishing") until 1998.Biography on the website of the Parliament of Vanuatu
He served in office in the Malampa Province assembly from 1992 to 1996, then was elected Member of the national Parliament for Malekula in the December 1998 general election. He is currently a member of the Melanesian Progressive Party.Biography on the website of the Parliament of Vanuatu
Initially a backbencher, he was appointed Minister for Cooperatives and Ni-Vanuatu Business Development (i.e., indigenous business development) in Prime Minister Sato Kilman's Cabinet on February 18, 2010. Kilman was attempting to consolidate his government's majority prior to an expected vote on a motion of confidence in Parliament."Cabinet reshuffle as Vanuatu political crisis continues", Radio New Zealand International, February 19, 2011 He lost office on April 24 when the Kilman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence, regained it on May 13 when the Court of Appeal declared the election of the new government unconstitutional,"Appeal court restores Kilman as Vanuatu prime minister", Radio New Zealand International, May 13, 2011 and lost it again on May 17 when Kilman reshuffled his government and replaced him with Don Ken."Seeking majority, Kilman reshuffles Vanuatu cabinet to accommodate defector", Radio New Zealand International, May 17, 2011
Kilman's government fell on 21 March 2013 when it lost the confidence of Parliament, and new Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil appointed Sae to the position of Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities two days later."Nation's interest first: Carcasses" , Vanuatu Daily Post, 26 mars 2013 He crossed the floor on 15 May 2014 to help bring down the Carcasses government. New Prime Minister Joe Natuman maintained Saimon at his post as Minister for Infrastructure."Natuman names cabinet line-up" , Vanuatu Digest, 16 May 2014 He lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence."Vanuatu announces new cabinet after new prime minister Sato Kilman is elected", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 June 2015
On 11 February 2016 he was elected as Speaker of the Parliament of Vanuatu. He served until 6 September 2019. He was then appointed Minister of Justice and Social Welfare in 20 April 2020. He served in that role until 2022.
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