Union of Moderate Parties

Most UMP members sticking with Vanuatu govt

One of the party's six MPs, Tanna's Robin Kapapa, defected to the opposition from the Bob Loughman-led government last week.

The party's executive, led by president Serge Vohor, has been pushing for the other five MPs to also join the opposition.

However, the party's parliamentary leader, deputy prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau, says the other MPs will stay with the coalition.

A meeting of the party's executive in Port Vila failed to resolve the split within the UMP.

Fate of 5 UMP parliamentarians purportedly at stake

Their case is now handed over to the party’s disciplinary committee.

Vohor was re-elected president of the national executive committee of UMP in the second rival UMP group, after the first congress elected Jacque Nauka Meriango in the first disputed UMP congress. Both congress convened consecutively at the Lycee Lab in Port Vila last month.

4 prominent UMP members “sacked”

Four separate standard letters were written on Wednesday 25 May 2016 addressed to Mr Jacque Nauka Meriango, Steven Sau, Joshua Bong and Ulrich Sumpto alleging they have breached the party constitution and have been acting outside the party interests, and therefore, are terminated permanently.

The letters were signed by Victer Rialuth Serge Vohor, as president of his UMP grouping and stamped with UMP’s official seal.

Serge Vohor re-elected president at second UMP congress

The election came about less than 48 hours after the first UMP congress elected Jacque Nauka Meriango president of the party.

Vohor, who hails from Port Olry in East Santo, was first elected into parliament in 1983 and never lost an election until last year when he was convicted and jailed. He was president of UMP for 29 years.

UMP congress in Vanuatu sparks controversy

Last weekend a UMP congress convened at the Lycee Lab in Port Vila but had not yet deliberated on the congress agenda when the party president, detainee Serge Vohor, was recalled from the meeting.

This followed a directive from the Director General of the Ministry of Justice, Mark Bebe. Signed documents by acting correctional centre manager, allowing Vohor to attend the congress, were revoked by Mr Bebe.

Jailed politicians recalled from attending UMP congress

Their attendance were approved by the Correctional Centre manager in the absence of the director, who was attending the ground-breaking ceremony of the new correctional centre facility on Santo Island.

However, the approval was short lived upon the return of the director of Correctional Center, Johnny Marango, and the Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Justice, Mark Bebe, who revoked the centre manager’s decision.

Government authorities imply that the approval to allow Serge Vohor and Tony Wright to attend the congress was pressurized by one faction of the UMP camp.