D-Day

for Lini

By Beryl Cook

AUGUST 7 has been tipped as the end of an era for Vanuatu. On that day the position of Prime Minister, held by Father Walter Lini since the former Anglo-French Condominium gained Independence in 1980, is ex pected to be put to the vote at a

Vanua’aku Party Congress.

If it goes ahead, the Congress will vote on a new executive including the presi dency position held by Lini. If it does not go ahead, mainly due to pressure from Lini himself, it could still be the spark for a backlash following months of mounting unrest in the party.

In the last month Lini has continued sackings designed to firm the ground around his feet ... and his critics have patiently continued preparations to slip the rug gently out from under him.

His critics say they want him replaced because of his recent health problems and political moves. Political manouevr ing would be enough to wither any individual’s health, but some observers suggest a reverse process his political

insecurity may have grown out of his insecurity over his health. In 1987 Lini suffered a stroke which partially para lysed his right side. As reported in Pacific Islands Monthly last month, some irregularities sur faced as early as last year with his “green letter” de

portations against two long-standing respected New Zealand residents appar ently for no reason; the sacking of his private secretary Grace Molisa when she expressed concern over the expulsions; his taking over of the portfolios of five top ministers despite his health; his sacking of former Finance Minister Sela Molisa in February and a further portfolio reshuffle.

At the April congress of the ruling Vanua’aku Party a leadership vote

returned Lini with a reasonably decisive margin, but opposition that could not be ignored. In early May, he left to undergo tests in Australia after a mild heart attack. He resumed work on June 14 and began sacking those ministers and civil servants who did not respond to his demand for pledges of loyalty. The calendar of events which have led up to the August 7 showdown began.

June 27: Lini sacks Lands Minister William Mahit and Minister for Trade Harold Qualao, referring to complaints from party members about aspects of their public social behaviour which could later be used against the party at the election. Education and Foreign Affairs Minister Donald Kalpokas and Home Affairs Minister lolu Abbil also sacked

for alleged disloyalty consisting of pub

lishing “confidential letters”. (The letters were sent from Lini threatening them and other ministers with dismissal if they did not pledge loyalty to him. Foreign Affairs Minister Edward Natapei sought support from his constituency for his plan to resign in protest again the PM’s demand for pledges of loyalty. Natapei is still in the position.) Kalpokas retains his position as ruling Vanua’aku Party General Secretary and Abbil retains his position as Party Executive President.

June 28: Lini announces the appoint ment of five new cabinet ministers the former Speaker of Parliament who re signed two days earlier, Onneyn Tahi, as the Transport, Public Works, Ports and Marine portfolio; Sice Sinker as the new

Minister for Health; Daniel lamiam as Min ister for Lands; David Tanar ango as Minister for Home Af fairs; and Kav cor Wass for Commerce, In dustry and co

operatives. Lini

also takes back the telecom munications, ci vil aviation, ju dicial services and energy port folios which he had allocated to other ministers before he went to Australia for medical treat ment.

July 3: Offic ials discount re ports the party seems set

Lini: challenged

to drop Father Lini, saying the decision can only be made at a congress of members which is to be held in August.

Party officials say if Lini is deposed as party president, he could still remain Prime Minister until the elections be cause the holder of that post is elected by the Parliament.

July 3: The opposition Melanesian Progressive Party welcomes the sackings.

Party vice-president William Edgel says the Prime Minister should have taken the move after the 1987 general elections.

Edgel describes the sacked ministers and secretaries as stumbling blocks in negotiations between the Melanesian Progressive Party led by rebel politician Barak Sope and the Vanua’aku Party.

Both Edgel and Sope are former leading members of the Vanua’aku Party.

July 8: Lini’s critics suffer a setback when a meeting of the interim executive of the ruling Vanua’aku party has to be postponed because of lack of a quorum.

Only 14 of the 15 members needed are present with sacked Lands Minister William Mahit still in his constitutency explaining the reasons for his dismissal.

Under Vanua’aku Party rules, only a congress can depose Lini, who has held the position of party president since leading the country into independence in 1980. He is reported to be opposed to a congress with party officials saying it cannot take place without his presence.

July 10: Lini bans the state-run Radio Vanuatu from running a media state ment confirming a challenge to his party leadership. The edict is issued after the executive of the Vanua’aku Party en dorses holding the August 7 special congress to decide leadership positions, including that of president. Lini stated earlier that such a congress was uncon stitutional under Vanua’aku rules.

He unsuccessfully tries to suspend two of four ministers he had sacked for alleged disloyalty, Donald Kalpokas and lolu Abbil, from their party positions of secretary and vice-president.

According to a report in Vanuatu Weekly, the party’s executive resolved on July 10 that Lini’s move to suspend Kalpokas from the party post the day before is null and void.

The executive also backs Kalpokas’ stand that Lini has no right to suspend him only the party’s disciplinary committee and its congress has this authority. According to a statement from

the Vanua’aku Party, signed by

Kalpokas, the extra-ordinary congress at Mele village will elect members of the party’s new executive, including the presidency position held by Lini.

July 11: Speaking on Radio Vanuatu, Lini’s private secretary Shem Rarua reiterates Lini’s comments that it would

be too expensive for the party to hold a mini-congress, and that the Aneityum Congress in April had agreed on a congress on Emae.

July 12: The Party General Secretary, Donald Kalpokas, dismisses claims by Lini’s private secretary that the problem is caused by a power-hungry minority group. Kalpokas says in a radio broad cast that party leaders are elected by the people during Party congress meetings, so they can not be accused of being hungry for power.

He in turn accuses Lini’s private

secretary, Shem Rarua, of breaching party policies by

making public state

ments about the party. Kalpokas says according to party rules, only officebearers in the party executive could make public statements about

party policies,

whereas Rarua is only an ordinary member of the party executive.

The latest: Lini has sacked five senior ministers and re placed more than a dozen heads of de partments by his relatives and friends.

The number of pol itical appointees and civil servants who have been sacked has been estimated at 40, and rumours are rife in Port Vila that Lini’s offsiders are working on the mechanics to execute a hit list of 40 more, including the At torney General and his assistant, and the head of immigration.

Lini’s latest move has been to instruct delegates to stay away from next month’s congress, and that the party would not pay for subcommittees travelling ex penses from outer islands. The directive came in a message broadcast on July 29 by Radio Vanuatu. The radio’s director of media services said Lini also had ordered the radio not to report anything about the congress.

The Vanua’aku Party General Secre tary has acknowledged there is instability within the government and a crisis within the party but they, like most people, believe the right place to sort things out is at the August 7 congress.

Most of the expatriate community have taken their opinions underground, wary perhaps of the uncertain motives behind last year’s “green letters” deport ing two New Zealand citizens. A number of expatriates criticised outside media for covering the issue at all.

“It’s a problem in the party and that’s where it ought to be discussed. Journal ists shouldn’t go trying to whip up some action,” one said.

The ni-Vanuatu themselves are more willing to discuss the issue. But, custom arily polite, they also would rather wait

It is said Lini’s offsiders are working on a hit list of 40, including the Attorney General, his assistant, and the head of immigration

and see what the party decides rather than speculate about the identity of a new Prime Minister.

The general feeling is that Lini has served the country well in broad brushstroke terms and there is still a great deal of respect for his achievements, particularly at the grassroots level in outlying areas. But it may be that his own insecurities have goaded him into actions which, ironically, have eroded support for him staying in power. The general feeling in the streets and sidewalk cafes of Port Vila seems to be that, without malice, this could be the time for a change and a new era. □

Barak Sope: his party's happy with sackings