One of the final activities of the Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP) for this year has been to try and bridge an apparent knowledge gap between the political parties’ policymaking processes and their voters. The other main aim has been to explore possible avenues for those policies to be canvassed in the open—where everyone could be given a fair chance of articulating what they are standing for, as well as allowing others to put their side, or put up a challenge.
Such a process is particularly useful, even though it is new and unheard of in many Pacific island contexts, especially in getting party leaders and their tacticians to develop the necessary confidence to not only formulate sound policy platforms, but also to articulate those policies in a logical and coherent manner.
Despite the expected hiccups there is optimism that with time and more awareness, trust can be gained and voters will begin to make informed choices, especially when it comes to choosing their representatives in parliament based on the merits of party policies, and not necessarily through the norms and rules of Kastom (the Bislama term for ‘custom’ – traditional values and practices of Vanuatu), as has been the practice since the early 1990s.
During the course of the five months of engagement with key players, PiPP managed to track down as many as 30 political groups by monitoring the local media, as well as having one-on-one conversations with people in Port Vila. Such a task proved to be quite revealing, but also taxing, especially in having to deal with the ever-evolving nature of the Vanuatu political party landscape, since the first political party was launched in the seventies by Fr. Walter Lini and his colleagues.
As a consequence and because of the fluid nature of the country’s political party system, allowance was always going to be made for some confusion as to what each party might be standing for in the lead up to the election. Many say that most policy platforms of splinter groups are carbon copies – cut and pasted from those of the original ‘mother parties’ like the Vanua’aku Party (VP) and the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP). In some respects this is true.
However, this exercise seems to show that some political groups pay a little attention to how a policy platform looks, or what it means to the country’s social and economic progress. At first when asked to provide such documents, most of those interviewed provided quite little. This was understandable considering that many parties needed to get the endorsement of their political party congresses or party executives. Some pointed PiPP to their past policy platforms while one political hopeful requested assistance from PiPP with drawing up a policy platform, which was not really what was intended.
It has also been evident that apart from a few well-established political parties, many newer ones seem to lack the necessary technical capacity to be able to craft simple, concrete and yet workable policy platforms that capture and address the aspirations and the key needs of the people.
It also reflects the paucity, if not a lack of local technical capacity existing within most Vanuatu political party ranks, of people who are be able to formulate tangible policies that could be used as a framework for advancing development. Some of these challenges are long-term and may be ironed out with time. Others are short-term and could be tackled with a bit more ingenuity.
However, having said all that, there were some political party platforms that stood out and looked quite attractive—at least on paper. The challenge will obviously be how and if those political parties are able to use those platforms as the basis for guiding development and for the better management of the country’s national affairs.
And in a country where electors vote predominantly on personality and social standing in the community, as opposed to well-designed and clearly defined policy platforms, it was not surprising that many of the furnished documents constituted quite broad statements that lacked clear action plans or commitments.
Here is a summarised version of the policies formulated by some of the political parties in Vanuatu – responding in particular to five key policy areas: Economy, Education, Health, Government Reform and Land & Decentralisation. See previously on our blog for the more detailed Bislama versions of these analyses, including related policy matrices.
Economy:
The economy is obviously one of the key areas where political parties need to have clear policy commitments on in order to drive Vanuatu’s social and economic development forward. While many of the platforms lacked clearly defined policy statements, most seem to recognise the importance of sound economic policy platforms, as demonstrated by these articulated policy commitments:
- Invest VT5 billion into the Agriculture Bank (GCP)
- Stop all negotiations around PACER Plus, EPA and any other trade agreements (GJP)
- Suspend or stop the MSG trade agreement and the Skills Movement Scheme (GJP)
- Ensure any new foreign investment must be a joint venture where 50% is owned by ni-Vanuatu (GJP)
- Set up a national food laboratory (GJP)
- Stop all new foreign owned retail and wholesale businesses, and regulate those already established (GJP, RMC)
- Cancel Vanuatu’s membership with WTO (KDP, VDALPC)
- Repeal the VCMB Act (VDALPFC, VRP)
- Upgrade the international airport (LDP, NUP)
- Build a fishing port in the north of Vanuatu (NAG)
- Establish telecommunications submarine cable to connect the provinces (RMC)
- Tar-seal all urban roads and build proper drainage and construct a new road to connect Ohlen Whitewood and Freshwota 5 (RMC)
- Develop Santo airport as a hub for receiving direct flights from Asia (VP)
- Establish a microfinance facility within the National Bank of Vanuatu to help ni-Vanuatu go into tourism projects (VP)
- Secure the use of Au Bon Marché’s product treatment plant to test agriculture products (VP)
- Allocate Vt1, 000,000,000 towards the setting up of 10,000 new commercial farms over a 30-year period (VPP)
- Upgrade all airstrips to ‘all-weather’ standards (VRP, VP)
- Apply for Tanna volcano to be listed as a World Heritage Site (NUP)
- Set up a new Department of Industry and Consumer Affairs (NUP)
- Set up a new Department of External Trade (NUP)
- Convert the Food Technology Centre into a statutory body (NUP)
- Sign the EPA and ratify PACER Plus (NUP)
- Establish a Fair Trading Act (NUP)
- Set up Trade Standards and Quality Control Act (NUP)
- Set up provincial savings and loans societies (NUP)
- Transfer Land Transport Board to the Ministry for Ni-Vanuatu Business (NUP)
- Set up a ni-Vanuatu Business Training Centre (NUP)
Education:
Education is a key social sector that needs a lot of attention from policy makers, not least from political parties. When one takes a careful look at various policy platforms of parties that contested this year’s national elections, it is clear more effort could be put into designing well defined policy plans that address some of the perennial issues relating to education such as deteriorating school facilities, teacher training and curriculum enhancement. Many parties did not address all education related issues. There were some that had very broad policy statements.
Health:
As the saying goes, a wealthy nation is equal to a healthy nation. The above table indicates very few specific policy statements on key health issues such as primary health care, building a new hospital or upgrading the current facilities, supply of drugs, health worker training and salaries, health fees and insurance, disability issues, nutrition or infant and maternal health. Our policy matrix shows lots of broad statements but fewer more detailed policy items. These were some of the clearer policy action plans by a few political parties:
- Safe water supply for every community in the country (GJP, PSP)
- Pay out all the outstanding salaries of health workers (GCP)
- Establish (LDP, VDALPC) or conduct a study (VP) into the setting up of a Medicare insurance scheme
- Make the health service free (RMC, VDP) in hospitals to children up to the age of 18 and for those 55 years or more (NIPDP)
- Introduce taxis for people with disability
- Enact a law to ensure the rights of the disadvantaged groups are protected (PPP)
- Build a special facility for those with mental health issues (VLP)
- Build a hospital in Torba (NUP)
- Set up dental services in all provinces (NUP)
Government Reform:
After 32 years of political independence and the frustration of trying to bring essential services to the people by improving the governance system it is not a surprise that a few political parties want to reform the current system. Below are some of the clear specific policy statements by the parties concerned:
- Enact legislation that puts in place specific criteria for forming a political party (GJP), VP)
- Pass legislation that provides for parties to declare their sources of funding (GJP, VP)
- Change the number of seats in parliament to reflect the population size (GJP)
- Reduce the number of seats in parliament (PPP)
- Reserve one third of the seats in parliament and in provincial councils and the municipalities for women (GJP)
- Amend the Municipalities Act so that there are no elections but members are nominated (GJP)
- Parliament should have its own legal counsel that is independent from the State Law Office (LDP, PPP)
- Enact legislation that requires MPs to file their annual returns (GJP)
- Divide parliament into two chambers: a representative chamber and a senate (NAG)
- Increase the MPs’ allocation to VT8 million (NIPDP)
- Give Malvatumauri, VNCW and each province voting rights in parliament (NUP)
- Extend the term of parliament to 5 years (PPP, VRP)
- Reduce the number of political staff in each department to eight (RMC)
- Reduce government spending on the public service by 20 % (RMC)
- Pass legislation that ensures there can be no motion of no confidence until the fourth year of a government’s term (VDALPFC)
- Increase MPs’ allocation to VT3 million (PPP)
- Increase MPs’ allocation to VT4 million (VRP)
- Enact new law to ensure MPs can’t cross the floor of parliament (VDALPFC)
- Establish a leadership tribunal (VDP, VP) and an anti-corruption commission (VDP)
- Amend the Government Act to clearly define the roles and duties of political appointees (VP)
- Amend the Government Act to revive the Central Agency Committee (VP)
- Change the current governing system to the presidential system (VPP)
Land and Decentralisation:
Due to space, a combined policy area: Land and Decentralisation brought up some of the following clearly defined policy action statements:
- Establish border control between urban and rural areas to stop urban drift (LDP)
- Build new towns at Lenakel, Sola, Saratamata and Norsup (NUP)
- Stop developments on every lease that extends to the coast (NUP)
- Audit every lease to ensure proper procedures and laws were followed (NUP)
- Ensure government compensates all landowners for leasing their land (NUP)
- Establish a service to advise landowners on how to develop their land (NUP, VDP)
- Establish a freehold system in Vanuatu (PPP)
- Establish freehold titles for ni-Vanuatu on urban lands (RMC)
- Make provision in the legislation for 30% transfer fee to be paid to the landowners (RMC)
- Have in place provincial lawyers and provincial prosecutors (VDP)
- Add two new wards to the Port Vila and Luganville constituencies (VDP)
- Foreigners can’t have freehold titles (VLP)
- Legislate so that the minister can’t sell public land without the approval of the council of ministers (VP)
- Get a study underway to find ways on how landowners can compensate leaseholders once leases have expired
- Put out public notices for land under dispute before any lease is signed (VRP)
- Allocate VT2 billion to infrastructure development in one province in one year (VRDP)
- Establish entry ports in every province (VRP)
- Repeal the Alienated Lands Act, amend the Land Leases Act and Land Reform Act and replace the Customary Land Tribunals Act with a new Customary Land Disputes Management Act (GJP)
- Amend the Strata Titles Act so that strata titles can only be applied to buildings, not land (GJP)
- Implement the resolutions of the Land Summit and protect all customary land as provided for under the Constitution (GJP, NUP, VDALPC)
- Pass legislation to protect all green spaces in Port Vila and Luganville (GJP)
- Set up an investigation unit to investigate all land dealings involving lands officers, former lands minister and political appointees (GJP)
- Implement all recommendations of the Decentralisation Review Commission of 2009 (GJP)
- Extend the municipal boundaries of Port Vila and Luganville (GJP)
- Reintroduce provincial agricultural and livestock extension officers in all provinces (VLP)
- Adopt presidential system of governance that has four main levels of power (VPP)
