Melanesian Poll
Melanesian Poll 2011 [PDF 0.1MB]
As leaders gathered in Fiji for the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders Summit, PiPP released its findings from the first ever telephone poll conducted across Melanesia.
Seven questions relating to the ‘Melanesian family’ of nations were posed, including one asking which major ‘non-Pacific island’ nation was considered to be the best partner for individual nations in the region. When asked who they considered part of the Melanesian family, a clear majority of respondents included the established members (PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia) while 42% also included West Papua, 17.1% included Australia, 14.9% included Indonesia and 14.1% included Timor Leste.
Another question posed was ‘do you support independence for West Papua?’ A clear majority of respondents across Melanesia said yes, with very high support in PNG (89.3%) and Vanuatu (88.2%). This suggests a disconnect between popular support and the position taken by governments in the region, except Vanuatu, which has long championed the West Papuan cause at the political level.
Asked to relate the relationship between their country and Australia, the majority of respondents said it was positive except those in Fiji. Australia is also considered to be the best external partner for PNG (40.5%) and the Solomons (40.4%), while for Vanuatu only 14.1% of respondents considered Australia best, whereas China scored 32.9%. Among respondents in Fiji there was a sense that it considered Australia, New Zealand, China and US as all roughly equal in importance.
In relation to engagement with Fiji, a majority of respondents including those in Fiji itself, opted for increased engagement or keeping the level of engagement as it is.
In a first for the region, PiPP piloted a simultaneous telephone poll across the four Melanesian countries (Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu). Released in the lead up the annual Melanesian Spearhead group leaders’ meeting, the poll explored key international relationships, the Fiji political situation and West Papua Independence.
The profile of Melanesia as a sub-regional grouping increased significantly following the establishment of a permanent secretariat of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Port Vila in 2008. MSG leaders will meet for their biennial summit on 31 March 2011 in Fiji. Much interest has surrounded this meeting across the region and internationally in relation to the admission of Indonesia and Timor Leste as official observers, and the fact that Fiji’s military leader is the current MSG chair.
A total of 363 people were surveyed by telephone across the four independent MSG countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) between 1 – 10 March 2011. Surveys were carried out in English or the national language of each country (Fiji – Fijian; Papua New Guinea – Tok Pisin; Solomon Islands – Pijin; Vanuatu – Bislama). The random sample, while not representative of the entire population in each survey location, covered a broad demographic. The results are not presented as facts about the population of each country or the Melanesian sub-region, but rather the general opinions of those surveyed.
This is the first time a telephone poll has been carried out simultaneously across the four independent Melanesian countries.
See also: Fiji’s military ruler uses Melanesian Spearhead Group to end pariah status, by Johnny Blades, The Guardian, 26 April 2011
