snap elections 2016

It says it can only delete names of the dead if it has received confirmation from relatives, as on some outer islands there is no official records of people dying at their villages.

The Commission told observers it is doing its best to improve the situation with the introduction of a biometric system by 2020.

“Regardless of the case, the election is set for 22 January. There will be no delay,even for the Tafea Constituency,” Iati informed the Daily Post.

The case is an urgent constitutional application filed by Vanuatu's former Charge d’Affaire in China, Willie Toama. His name was not included in the list of eligible candidates released by the Electoral Office.

Lawyers of both parties met with the judge for conference Thursday but no dates have been set for the court to issue a decision.

The Forum Observer Team comprises Mr Pita Vuki, Commissioner and Supervisor of Elections of the Kingdom of Tonga, and Ms Taggy Tangimetua, Chief Electoral Officer of the Cook Islands. The team is supported by the Forum Secretariat.

Of the 263 candidates contesting next Friday's election, only eight are women.

Jenny Ligo, from Vanuatu Women against Crime and Corruption, says 10 women contested in 2012, but none of them was elected.

She says the political system is often skewed against women, and it is incredibly hard for them to be able to break through.

Barak Sope, who led the country from 1999 to 2001, says Vanuatu risks being run by foreigners under its current policy.

Five naturalised citizens are contesting the snap election, out of over 200 candidates.

But Mr Sope says the law must be changed, and it was only prompted by politicians looking at ways of making money.

Mr Toama who is Charge d'Affaires at Vanuatu's embassy in China has not been declared as eligible to contest the Tanna constituency.

Mr Toama's lawyer Less Napuati says Mr Toama had been removed from the electoral list and the Commission had a statutory duty to inform him they had done so.

The Forum's acting director of political governance and security says delegates from Tonga and the Cook Islands will travel to Vanuatu next week with Forum executives.

Sione Tekiteki says the mission will monitor Vanuatu's electoral process not only to assess compliance but also to learn from and share any lessons with other member countries.

After a delay of two days, the office late last night released the official candidates list with 183 names.

However, 81 people were declared ineligible, including two current caretaker ministers, the former opposition leader, Ham Lini, and the former speaker of parliament, Philip Boedoro.

The mission was established at short notice following a request from Vanuatu to the MSG's current chair, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

It will be drawn from the MSG's member states, including the FLNKS movement in New Caledonia.

A number of political parties had already launched their campaigns to start pending the declaration from the Electoral Office of the names of the eligible candidates, which were read out towards midnight last night.

The Electoral Chairman Killian Taleo says a total of 264 candidates had been screened for outstanding debts and the number was reduced to 183.