Vanuatu will return to poll for snap election on 22nd January 2016.
This comes after the 10th legislature of the Republic of Vanuatu was dissolved by President Baldwin Lonsdale on Tuesday last week.
All political parties have in the past week be making necessary preparations for the snap election.
Caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman’s People’s Progressive Party has announced it is fielding 16 candidates.
Sources inside the main Unity Front Bloc, the Vanua’aku Pati say they are considering over 20 candidates to contest under the Unity front Banner. Other parties within the bloc will be fielding separate candidates but coordinated efforts and joint campaigns will be carried out throughout the islands of Vanuatu.
It is believed the Moderates will also be fielding candidates under a similar arrangement.
The announcement of the snap election date coincides with the opening of the campaigns for Sanma provincial elections. Qualified candidates were announced today and similar campaign arrangements for the snap election were planned by political parties.
As of midday today after the official announcement was made on the state-run Radio Vanuatu, the electoral Commission has stepped up a nationwide campaign through Radio Vanuatu against anti-corruption activities that could occur before, during and after an election.
The Principal Electoral Officer, Fr Charles Vatu and his officers are adamant in their promotions to ensure the right and legal approach were fulfilled in order to avoid election dispute cases.
They explained the categories of people eligible for proxy votes. In the past proxy votes had been the main focus of election disputes. The deadline for proxy applications is Friday, 15 December.
Interested candidates will have to ensure they incur no outstanding debts with government and state enterprises to be qualified.
Those politicians serving their prison terms at the correctional services including the current caretaker finance minister Willie Jimmy, would not be eligible to contest under provisions of the Representation of the People’s (Amendment) Act because they are serving suspended sentence or prison terms.
Whist preparation for the snap national election as well as Sanma provincial election is continuing, the writing on the wall will hinge on the outcome of the constitutional case now before the supreme court. This case is filed by former opposition MPs against President Baldwin Lonsdale’s dissolution of Vanuatu’s 10th legislature. Trial date is set for Thursday 10th December 2015.