Ralph John Regenvanu (born 20 September 1970 in
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Di ...
,
Fiji[''Laef Blong Mi'', Sethy Regenvanu, op.cit., p. 76]) is a
Ni-Vanuatu
Ni-Vanuatu (informally abbreviated Ni-Van) is a large group of closely related Melanesian ethnic groups native to the island country of Vanuatu. As such, ''Ni-Vanuatu'' are a mixed ethnolinguistic group with a shared ethnogenesis that speak a m ...
anthropologist,
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...
and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. He has been a
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
since September 2008, was a
member of Cabinet for most of the period from December 2010 to January 2012 and then from March 2013 to June 2015, and was the Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council from 1995 until December 2010.
He has been a leading figure in Vanuatu's cultural world, primarily as a promoter of cultural knowledge preservation and
sustainable development as a researcher, but also, to a lesser extent, as a painter and illustrator. He has represented Vanuatu and its culture in the international sphere, notably through
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
. His transition to politics came suddenly in 2008, at a comparatively young age; his successful campaign to be elected to Parliament generated popular and media support. As a Member of Parliament, he sought to publicise his activities and discuss political issues directly with members of the public; he also used his parliamentary allowance to help finance student scholarships and youth business projects. Three months after his election, he was arrested and charged with aiding prisoners who had escaped from gaol. The charges were later dropped. In late 2010, he launched his own political party, shortly before being appointed to Cabinet.
From December 2017 to April 2020, he served as Vanuatu's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and sought in particular to mobilise the international community in support for the right to
self-determination
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a '' jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It st ...
for the people of
West Papua. Since April 2020, he has been Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Early life
Ralph was born on 20 September 1970 to Dorothy and
Sethy Regenvanu Pastor Sethy John Regenvanu (born 1945) is a politician in Vanuatu. He is one of several churchmen who have been active in Vanuatu politics, like Father Walter Lini, Rev. Frederick Karlomuana Timakata, and Father Gérard Leymang.
Hailing from Ur ...
at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in
Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Di ...
,
Fiji. Sethy Regenvanu, born on
Malakula,
was later to become a prominent politician in post-independence Vanuatu: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in the government of Prime Minister
Walter Lini
Walter Hadye Lin̄i (1942 – 21 February 1999) was a Raga Anglican priest and politician who was the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, from independence in 1980 to 1991. He was born at Agatoa village, Pentecost Island. On his mother's side, ...
in the 1980s.
Dorothy Regenvanu, born Dorothy Rutter in Australia,
is a pastor in the
Presbyterian Church
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...
.
Sethy Regenvanu was in Suva to study at the Pacific Theological College when Ralph, his and Dorothy's first child, was born. Ralph was three years old when the family left Fiji to move to
Australia, then back to Vanuatu (which at the time was the Franco-British
Condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
of the
New Hebrides
New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
). Ralph eventually had four younger siblings, all brothers: Nikil Periv (b. 1974), Malpati (1975), Regson Tairets (1982), and George Michael (1984).
Work in the field of culture
Regenvanu studied
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
,
archeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...
and
development studies
Development studies is an interdisciplinary branch of social science. Development studies is offered as a specialized master's degree in a number of reputed universities around the world. It has grown in popularity as a subject of study since the e ...
at the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
, obtaining an Honour's degree in development studies in 1991, before becoming
curator
A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...
of the
National Museum of Vanuatu
The National Museum of Vanuatu ( bi, Nasonal Miusium blong Vanuatu) is located in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre (VCC) in Port Vila, Vanuatu. It specializes in exhibits relating to the culture and history of this group of islands in the South Pacifi ...
. ''Les Nouvelles calédoniennes'' describes him as "Vanuatu's first anthropologist".
["Vanuatu Cultural Center Leader Awarded Customary Title"](_blank)
, ''The Independent'' (Vanuatu), 19 November 2006["Ralph Regenvanu to stand in elections"](_blank)
, ''Vanuatu Daily Post'', 17 April 2008
, UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
, 2003
''Les Nouvelles calédoniennes'', 4 September 2008
In 1994, he was a founding member of the
Pacific Islands Museums Association The Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA) is, as its name suggests, an association of museums located in the region of the Pacific islands. Its stated aims include facilitating the "safeguarding and preservation of Oceania’s heritage and heri ...
, and was a member of its inaugural executive board from 1997 to 2009.

From 1995 to 2006, he was the director of the
Vanuatu Cultural Centre
The Vanuatu Cultural Centre (in Bislama ''Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta'' or "VKS"; in French ''Centre Culturel du Vanuatu''), founded in 1955, is the national cultural institution of Vanuatu. It is located in the capital Port Vila.
From 1995 to 200 ...
, and was subsequently tasked with overseeing Vanuatu's ongoing "Year of the Traditional Economy" (2007 and 2008), in accordance with a government policy which aimed at preserving, maintaining and revitalizing elements of the or reviving traditional indigenous economics. In 1992, he helped formulate the Vanuatu Cultural Research Policy which became effective in 1993 and has been a prominent advocate for the protection of the country's biodiversity. He has advocated the use of
customary law
A legal custom is the established pattern of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law".
Customary law (also, consuetudina ...
-as opposed to a legal system derived from
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English ...
and
French models- in the
juvenile justice
A juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal s ...
sector.
["Regional Leaders Making a Difference"](_blank)
, ''Pacific Magazine'', 27 April 2008 He has stated that, although the Constitution recognises both "traditional Melanesian values" and
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
as the bases of contemporary ni-Vanuatu society, the latter tends to overshadow the former. He has attempted to highlight the importance of indigenous customs and their present-day relevance.
["Praying for the revival of kastom: Women and Christianity in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre"](_blank)
Lissant Bolton, Emalus Library Online Documents Collection, November 1998 The ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' describes him as "a world authority on
custom
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a ...
".
In 1996, he spearheaded the setting up of Fest'Napuan, an annual musical festival, described by the Vanuatu Tourism Office as "the premier cultural event of the year", and by the ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' as "one of the major music festivals in the South Pacific". In 2010, the festival lasted five days and attracted an audience of over 30,000 people. In the past, it has attracted musicians from
New Caledonia, the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...
,
Fiji,
West Papua,
Easter Island
Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
,
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
, and in 2004 it was broadcast live by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
.
In 2010, Regenvanu remained active in organising the festival, presiding over the Fest' Napuan Association, and announcing that that year's theme would be "Women in Music", to promote female musicians from around the Pacific and to combat gender bias in the music industry.
In 1998, he began working in collaboration with
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
as a delegate of Vanuatu and of the
Pacific Islands
Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of ...
more generally. Since then, he has represented Vanuatu in a number of international conferences. As of 2003, he was Secretary of the Executive Council of the Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA).
As of 2007, he was a member of the Advisory Committee of Experts for the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. He has also been a jury member assessing potential items for UNESCO's
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list.
["Keeper of the songs"](_blank)
Australian National University, 2005
In 2004, Regenvanu initiated the process to have sites associated with
Roy Mata
Roi Mata (or Roy Mata, Roymata) was a powerful Melanesian chief in what is now Vanuatu. He is believed to have lived at the end of the 16th century, or the beginning of the 17th. ''Chief Roi Mata's domain'' (UNESCO report).
In 2008, three sites ...
inscribed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, the first in Vanuatu, which was accomplished in 2008. He had also been involved in unearthing another site, which contains "the oldest graves in the Pacific region" and the "only
Lapita
The Lapita culture is the name given to a Neolithic Austronesian peoples, Austronesian people and their material culture, who settled Island Melanesia via a seaborne migration at around 1600 to 500 BCE. They are believed to have originated from ...
-era cemetery" found anywhere so far.
In 2005, the projects he was working on included a "project to strengthen the
traditional economy
A traditional economic system is based on customs, history and time-honored beliefs. A traditional economy is an economic system in which traditions, customs, and beliefs help shape the goods and services the economy produces, as well as the rul ...
and the use of traditional wealth items in Vanuatu"; a "project to revitalise
sand drawing
Sand drawing (or sandroing in Bislama)["Sandroing"](_blank)
Vanuatu ...
s"; the Fest’Napuan; and "strengthening the
Pacific Islands Museums Association The Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA) is, as its name suggests, an association of museums located in the region of the Pacific islands. Its stated aims include facilitating the "safeguarding and preservation of Oceania’s heritage and heri ...
", of which he was a board member.
In April 2005, when the ''
Malvatu Mauri'' (National Council of Chiefs) imposed a ban on the custom of the
bride price
Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property
Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on ...
, he organised a meeting of chiefs aimed at finding "a realistic balance between tradition and modernity" in the customs of contemporary Vanuatu.
In June 2006, as director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, he participated in a discussion on the ownership of cultural objects, organised by the
Musée du Quai Branly in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
.
On 10 November 2006, he was awarded the title of ''
Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
'' (
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...
in the Order of Arts and Letters) by the government of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, for his work in the field of culture, and more specifically for his years of work with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. Seven days later, he was awarded the title ''Libehkamel Tah Tomat'' (Caretaker of the Sacred Nakamal (men's house)) by Chief Matthias Batick of the Nende people of South West Bay,
Malakula. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre explains that the title "comes with his attainment of the first grade in one of the traditional grade-taking systems" of the region. Regenvanu retired as Director of the Cultural Centre in December 2006, and subsequently entered politics. In December 2010, upon being appointed as a State Minister, he resigned as Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council. However, he continues to combine his interests in the cultural field with his political career.
In June 2009 at a meeting of several Melanesian community groups in
Madang
Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century.
Hist ...
(Papua New Guinea) Ralph Reganvanu co-founded MILDA (the Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance). He presided over a second MILDA meeting at Mele Village (
Efate
Efate (french: Éfaté) is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu. It is also known as Île Vate.
Geography
It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanu ...
, Vanuatu) in June 2009. He remains active in the defence of customary land systems.
In January 2010, he attended the opening of a new building at the
Museum of Anthropology
This is a list of museums with major collections in ethnography and anthropology. It is sorted by descending number of objects listed.
# Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
#: 3.75 million artifacts
# Musée du quai Branly, Pa ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
, as the official representative of "every museum in the Pacific". His invitation was due to his having been "heavily involved in the preparation for the Pacific Islands exhibition".
In February 2015, he was selected to represent the Pacific Islands on the advisory board of the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
's language research centre.
Political career
Entry in politics
''Pacific Magazine'' stated in April 2008 that "Regenvanu is seen as one of Vanuatu's future political leaders",
while the ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' described him in April 2009 as an "upcoming leader". When he announced his intention to stand for election to Parliament, the ''Daily Post'' expressed the following opinion, which garnered favourable comments from readers' feedback:
"It will not be easy but if Regenvanu can get young people behind him and voting in numbers as well as women and people who are fed up with seeing the same politicians come into power and achieving little, then he could pave the way for a new trend of highly educated Ni Vanuatu politicians to enter politics and see change that everyone wants."
''Les Nouvelles calédoniennes'', a
New Caledonian newspaper, emphasised his relative youth (he was 37), the fact that he was a new voice in politics, and his apparent public support.
He had previously received support from ''The Vanuatu Independent'' in 2008, upon first announcing his entrance into a political career. The newspaper, describing him as a "young visionary and idealist", had written of him: "It is a long time since we have had a charismatic leader emerge from the crowd.
..Whatever he does, he will do it well."
First term as Member of Parliament

He was
elected Elected may refer to:
* "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973
* ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008
*The Elected, an American indie rock band
See also
*Election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...
to
Vanuatu's parliament representing
Port Vila
Port Vila (french: Port-Vila), or simply Vila (; french: Vila; bi, Vila ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate.
Its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040, an increase of 35% on the p ...
as an
independent candidate
An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have political views th ...
on 2 September 2008.
''Les Nouvelles calédoniennes'' and ''Islands Business'' reported that he had received a record high number of votes.
Transparency International Vanuatu applauded his election and his first days in office:
"Port Vila MP Ralph Regenvanu was elected by the “Protest Vote
A protest vote (also called a blank, null, spoiled, or "none of the above" vote) is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates or the current political system. Protest voting takes a variety of forms a ...
” – essentially by those people who were sick and tired of the traditional politics, and it is encouraging to see him exercising his mandate. This is democracy at work .. It is an encouraging sign that a member of the Opposition in Parliament is doing what is normally expected in properly functioning democracy - namely to highlight discrepancies between Government statements and Government actions."
Despite remaining an independent, Regenvanu described politicians
and
Moana Carcasses
Moana Carcasses Kalosil (born 27 January 1963) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from March 2013 to May 2014. He was the first naturalized citizen of Vanuatu to become the country's prime minister.
Carcasses was ousted ...
as people "I can work with and have respect for".
Caracasses is leader of the
Green Confederation
The Green Confederation ( bi, Vanuatu Grin Konfederesen, french: Confédération des Verts Vanuatu; sometimes seen as the Greens Confederation or Vanuatu Green Confederation) is a green political party in Vanuatu.
At the legislative election ...
, and was -in the immediate aftermath of the election-
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...
of the parliamentary Opposition to Prime Minister
Edward Natapei's government. The press initially described Regenvanu as being a member of the Opposition.
["MPs to challenge any motion to suspend them"](_blank)
, ''Vanuatu Daily Post'', 17 January 2009 Following a
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
reshuffle in November 2009, however, he became part of a new parliamentary majority supporting Prime Minister Natapei, as member of "The Alliance" political bloc headed by Sato Kilman, who was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade in the November Cabinet reshuffle. The Alliance, supporting the government, consisted in MPs from a variety of small parties (including Carcasses' Green Confederation) and three independent MPs. Regenvanu, who did not seek a role in Cabinet, then described himself as a government backbencher; he was also described as "an independent MP in the government coalition"
and a "government MP",
though he was not a member of Cabinet.
["Natapei fires NUP, brings in Alliance"](_blank)
''Vanuatu Daily Post'', 19 November 2009
In January 2009, he announced that he would use part of his allowance as Member of Parliament to set up and finance scholarships for students undertaking Foundation-level studies at the
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...
in Port Vila. In March, twelve students were selected to receive financial assistance under his scholarship scheme. The initiative was praised by the head of the university's Vanuatu campus. The following year, nineteen more scholarships were awarded under the scheme he was continuing to fund, now with the assistance of an anonymous Australian donor. The year after that, in 2011, twelve more students received scholarships funded from his allowance.
Also in March 2009, Regenvanu began to finance a "Youth Solidarity Micro-Credit Scheme" out of his parliamentary allocation, providing loans to assist several young people in setting up "small business projects". This was in keeping with his campaign promise that he would attempt to encourage emerging local businesses. He subsequently continued to personally fund programmes from his parliamentary allowance. In 2010, he donated 200,000
vatu (one tenth of his annual allowance) to a campaign to clean up litter in Port Vila. The same year, he donated 50,000 vatu and a printer to the Port Vila Town Youth Council, to register and promote youth groups. In February 2012, he donated rainwater catchment material to a community on
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...
.
In February 2009, he participated in a symposium entitled "Building successful partnerships: Government, the Academy, Industry and Civil Society in the Changing Pacific", at
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn P ...
in
Australia. He had been invited to participate "in recognition of his leading role in building partnerships between Government, research institutions and civil society in Vanuatu".
Also in February, he criticised what he described as an excessively short period of notice given to MPs before a parliamentary debate on a number of
bills:
"How is it possible for MPs to consult with their constituencies about the bills if they have not yet received them less than a week before Parliament is due to sit to discuss them? If MPs cannot consult with their electorates about the bills, how can they properly represent their views about these bills which will become laws that will affect their day-to-day lives? Such late notice and late provision of the bills demonstrates that the Government is not at all committed to the "stampa" principle of democracy and good governance, which is the representation of the people by leaders they elect to represent them. It reflects the Government’s attitude that because it has a majority in Parliament - which means its bills will automatically be passed - there is no need for the grassroots to know about these laws that it intends to pass, which will nevertheless affect their lives. This is an arrogant and undemocratic attitude which, unfortunately, has come to characterize our system of parliamentary democracy and particularly the approach of the major parties which have been in Government over the last 20 years. ..I have been telling communities in Port Vila that I will consult with them about the 2009 Government budget, to get their views to present in Parliament, and I am very disappointed and angry that the Government, by their late notice, has meant that this will be very difficult, if not impossible."
On 4 May, Regenvanu relaunched a weekly radio programme, "Traem Tingting Smol", which he had initially started in early 2008, to discuss political topics affecting people's lives. The programme would discuss such issues with guests, as well as with listeners, encouraged to "ring in to ask questions or give their views". Among the initial topics for discussion were the prospect of Vanuatu joining the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
; a fishing plant; and a large loan to Vanuatu from the
Chinese government. "Traem Tingting Smol" is
Bislama
Bislama (; ; also known by its earlier French name, ) is an English-based creole language and one of the official languages of Vanuatu. It is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganvil ...
for "try and think a little".
On 22 May, Regenvanu was publicly criticised and ridiculed in Parliament by Internal Affairs Minister
Patrick Crowby
Patrick Joseph Manarewo Kalpuaso Crowby (6 July 1958 – 27 December 2013) was a Vanuatuan politician.
Crowby was born in Port Vila in 1958. and Minister for Lands
Harry Iauko, who read out an e-mail Regenvanu had been circulating, in which the young MP broadly accused his fellows of widespread corruption. He had also stated in the e-mail that Speaker of Parliament
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman (born 26 April 1941) is a Vanuatuan politician, formerly serving as the speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting president. He served as the prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 199 ...
would be "buried" if he attempted to stand in the
2012 general election. Carlot Korman addressed Regenvanu in these terms: "I, along with
your father are veteran politicians. I want you to explain to me what you mean when you say you are going to bury me." Regenvanu was compelled by the Speaker to offer an apology.
In 2010, following a coronial report which accused police commissioner
Joshua Bong of human rights abuses, and of attempting to "derail the coroner's inquest" into a prisoner's death in custody, Regenvanu publicly described Bong as "a thug who disregards the law", calling for his removal.
The same year, Regenvanu was named vice-chairman of the Independence Celebrations Task Force Committee, entrusted with preparations for the country's celebration of its anniversary of independence. He was also a member of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee investigating a misappropriation of public funds by public servants. The committee's findings resulted in official charges being laid against three public servants.
In November, he protested publicly against a change in the way constituency funds were allocated to MPs. He argued that, under the new rules, there was no longer any meaningful accountability, as the funds were now to be paid directly into MPs' salaries. Regenvanu argued that this amounted to an unjustified 83% salary increase for MPs.
He successfully moved that a nominal vote be taken on the issue, but was one of just seven MPs to vote against what the ''Daily Post'' also described as an increase in MPs' salaries.
At the close of 2010, the Fiji-based ''
Islands Business
''Islands Business'' is a "multimedia publishing company" established in the 1970s in Suva, Fiji.
ABC Radio describes it as an "influential regional publication".
With correspondents throughout Oceania, it describes itself as the "premier publi ...
'' praised him as "an outspoken opponent of corruption"; "in the Public Accounts Committee, he is unflinching in his attempts to wrench the facts from those on the witness stand".
["POLITICS: New party for ‘MP Ralph’"](_blank)
, ''Islands Business'', December 2010
Alain Simeon, of the
Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
, said of him in January 2012 that he was "one of the first MPs to use
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
to campaign and to keep voters well informed of political developments", adding that he had "huge support in the local community".
Arrest in December 2008
In December 2008, thirty inmates of Vanuatu's main prison in Port Vila escaped after starting a fire in the prison. Regenvanu announced that he had received word in advance of the jailbreak attempt, from the prisoners themselves. He stated that he had found twenty-six of the escaped prisoners and taken them to the ''Malvatu Mauri'' ''
nakamal'', where they would be cared for by "community leaders". He stated that they had been ill-treated while in prison, and that they feared being beaten by prison staff if they returned. The prisoners were re-arrested and taken back to prison. On 19 December, Regenvanu and fellow Member of Parliament
Moana Carcasses
Moana Carcasses Kalosil (born 27 January 1963) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from March 2013 to May 2014. He was the first naturalized citizen of Vanuatu to become the country's prime minister.
Carcasses was ousted ...
were arrested, detained for 24 hours, and charged with aiding the prisoners in their escape. Among the charges were "harbouring and aiding of prisoners", "
obstructing police on duty" and "accessory after the fact" to the breakout. They were released, provisionally, and appeared in court in February 2009. It was subsequently announced by the Supreme Court that they would face charges of "harbouring prisoners" and "obstructing police duty" on 20 March.
Appearing in front of the Supreme Court on that date, Regenvanu pleaded not guilty to "three counts of accessory after the fact, harboring or assisting a prisoner and
obstructing police officers on duty". He was released on bail, and it was announced he would reappear in Court on 13 May.
On 7 May, he and Moana Carcasses attended the funeral of a prison inmate who had died "under the custody of the Vanuatu Mobile Force".
On 13 May, he again pleaded not guilty in court, to the same charges as previously. He was scheduled to return to court for pre-trial on 5 August.
In January, Prime Minister
Edward Natapei's government stated that it would consider seeking Regenvanu's and Carcasses' suspension from Parliament over the charges.
They would, in any case, be likely to lose their seats if found guilty.
In September 2009, the Supreme Court dropped all charges against Regenvanu and Carcasses that had been filed in the wake of the prison break.
Despite these events, a
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
reshuffle in December 2009 resulted in Carcasses joining Natapei's government as Minister of Internal Affairs and Labour,
while Regenvanu became "an independent MP within the governing coalition", supporting Natapei.
In May 2010, six escaped prisoners asked to talk to Regenvanu, telling the police they were willing give themselves up if the request were granted. Regenvanu later told the press:
"Police came to my house on Sunday at 1pm when I was having my siesta and told me that the escapees had demanded to see me before they gave themselves up to the police voluntarily. I was reluctant because last time I helped the police I was arrested but I agreed if it meant they would give themselves up, so I went with two officers to Tanoliu.
Six of the escapees were there and we talked for about three hours with me trying to persuade them to come back. They told me that they had sent a letter to the Minister of Justice Bakoa Kaltongga
Pakoa Kaltonga, also known as Bakoa Kaltongga (born 6 April 1969), is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is a member of the Leaders Party of Vanuatu. , complaining that they had been at 'Container City' since June in very confined areas, not allowed visitation rights and had no chance to see their chiefs for rehabilitation.
They told me that they had been refused medical care and had other requests unanswered and that other high risk prisoners had been moved out of container city to other prisons but not them and they felt it was unfair. They said that they were not allowed to exercise and were demanding to be relocated to another prison and that was the reason behind their escape."["Police had 6 escapees in talks and let them go"](_blank)
, ''Vanuatu Daily Post'', 23 May 2010
Regenvanu passed on the prisoners' concerns to the relevant authorities and to the media, but did not obtain the surrender of all six.
Parliamentary motion on West Papua
In 2010, Regenvanu was instrumental in the tabling of a motion in Parliament stating that Vanuatu would request the support of the sixty fifth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations for the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the legality of the agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands affecting the civil rights and lives of the people of West Papua. The motion was adopted unanimously by Parliament in June, having been moved by the Prime Minister Edward Natapei and seconded by the opposition leader
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman (born 26 April 1941) is a Vanuatuan politician, formerly serving as the speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting president. He served as the prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 199 ...
, along with their respective parties.
["PNG 'out of step' on Papua says Vanuatu MP"](_blank)
, Australia Network News, 22 June 2010
The decision received a favourable comment from the monthly Fiji-based regional business magazine ''Islands Business'', which praised it as "forward thinking", and added: "
and when West Papua gets the independence and self rule it deserves, its people will have much to feel grateful to its Melanesian brethren across the
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fren ...
".
Regenvanu subsequently criticised
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
for having "consistently" opposed discussion of West Papua within the Melanesian Spearhead Group, "against the wishes of other Melanesian countries".
Papua New Guinea borders the
Papua province
Papua is a province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Tabi Saireri. It is bordered by ...
of Indonesia, one of the provinces in West Papua region. He added: "We want to raise international attention to the issue of West Papua", saying also that he hoped it would not compromise Vanuatu's relations with Indonesia.
Launch of own party
In November 2010, Regenvanu launched his own political party, in preparation for the
2012 general election. The
Land and Justice Party (in
Bislama
Bislama (; ; also known by its earlier French name, ) is an English-based creole language and one of the official languages of Vanuatu. It is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganvil ...
, ''Graon mo Jastis Pati'' (GJP)
) aimed to facilitate young people's participation in politics. Regenvanu argued that the executive of existing parties was controlled by veteran politicians, inhibiting the rise of new, younger politicians. Regenvanu stated that a core objective of the party would be "to try and put good leaders into parliament and into politics at all levels. And by that I mean leaders who are prepared to put the public interest first". In addition, the party would campaign on strengthening the guarantee of indigenous land ownership, and on promoting and facilitating indigenous participation in business.
''Islands Business'' expressed its support for the new party. It reported Regenvanu as stating that chiefs, churches, women and youth were the four solid legs of the Land and Justice Party, and added that the party did indeed seem to be supported by youth - but also by "mums and dads, chiefs and pastors who have maintained the debate against corruption (and the falling standards in public life), whether in the home, the church or the
nakamal, or in print, for a very long time". It concluded that Regenvanu was widely "seen as a future leader" for Vanuatu.
Appointment to Cabinet
Minister for Cooperatives and ni-Vanuatu Business Development
In December 2010, Edward Natapei's government was ousted by a
motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in Parliament, and
Sato Kilman
Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu (born 30 December 1957) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu on four occasions, most recently from June 2015 to February 2016. Kilman was previously Prime Minister from December 2010 to April 2 ...
succeeded him as Prime Minister. Regenvanu was among those who crossed the floor to form the new parliamentary majority, and consequently obtained a post in Cabinet: Kilman appointed him Minister of Cooperatives and ni-Vanuatu Business Development, issues which Regenvanu's party had stated as priorities.
In early February 2011, he was described as "instrumental", along with Minister for Trade
Ham Lini
Ham is pork from a leg cut of pork, cut that has been food preservation, preserved by wet or dry Curing (food preservation), curing, with or without smoking (cooking), smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. Lo ...
, in preparing a bill to introduce a ''Copyright Act'' in Vanuatu, with an aim to protect the intellectual property of artists.
Later summing up his policies as Minister for ni-Vanuatu Business, he said he had amended the method of appointment of the Registrar of Cooperatives to ensure it would be based on merit. He added that he had formulated a policy to restrict "the location and manner in which foreigners could establish retail and wholesale shops in Vanuatu", in order to safeguard local businesses, but that he had been reshuffled out of the ministry before it could be implemented.
["Media Statement From MP Ralph Regenvanu In Response To His Termination As A Minister On Monday 16 January"](_blank)
press release, 20 January 2012
Minister for Lands
On 18 February, Prime Minister Kilman reshuffled his Cabinet following the defections of two ministers. Regenvanu was appointed Minister for Lands, while
backbencher
In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the ...
Esmon Sae succeeded him as Minister for ni-Vanuatu business.
As Minister for Lands, he was able to initiate a reform of procedures for land leases, which he had been advocating. His ministry announced at the start of March 2011 that "new applications for registration of land leases of customary land w
uld nowrequire consent from an entire landowner clan, not just individuals". This would enable greater transparency, and would protect communal landowners from having their lands signed away by a small number of individuals. It would prevent leases "that breach planning
rforeshore requirements", and prevent what
Transparency International
Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil ...
and
Oxfam
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.
History
Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
had called "corrupt land deals" under previous Lands Ministries, whereby (in Regenvanu's words) land was "sold for peanuts" or by "the wrong landowners".
Three thousand land leases were put on hold for investigation - a decision which was reportedly "welcomed by members of the public but
..prompted legal proceedings against the state by land owners".
The Opposition, led by Edward Natapei, reacted favourably to Regenvanu's appointment to the Ministry of Lands, saying that, unlike his predecessors, Regenvanu would "uphold the legal process in land dealings". The ''
Times of Tonga'', reprinting an article from the ''Vanuatu Daily Post'', noted: "The reshuffling of Port Vila’s outspoken anti-corruption Minister Ralph Regenvanu, from the Ministry of Ni-Vanuatu Business to the Ministry of Lands comes as a breath of relief and
as beenwidely applauded by the grassroots."
On 10 March, however, Regenvanu was reshuffled to the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs. Prime Minister Kilman had just sacked Justice Minister
Yoan Simon, who had "reportedly backed the opposition’s plans for a motion of no confidence" in him, and needed to shore up his coalition government by bringing in a new party. Kilman offered a Cabinet position to the
Republican Party, who demanded the Lands Ministry. Consequently,
Alfred Carlot
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
replaced Regenvanu as Minister for Lands, while Regenvanu was appointed to the vacant position of Minister for Justice. Ben Bohane, of the Pacific Institute of Public Policy, remarked that Regenvanu seemed to have been "sacrificed to allow the
epublican Partyto come in as a coalition partner for the government. The government's numbers are very shaky. Parliament is set to resume some time at the end of this month and again there is ongoing talk of a vote of no confidence."
Radio New Zealand International
RNZ Pacific or Radio New Zealand Pacific, sometimes abbreviated to RNZP, is a division of Radio New Zealand and the official international broadcasting station of New Zealand. It broadcasts a variety of news, current affairs and sports programm ...
, describing Regenvanu as a reformer during his three weeks as Minister for Lands, noted: "Reliable sources from the office of the opposition say Mr Kilman had no choice but to make the reshuffle to stay in power."
Radio Australia
ABC Radio Australia, also known as Radio Australia, is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's public broadcaster. Most programming is in English, with some in T ...
noted that he had been "transferred due to political pressure", as the government tried to maintain a viable parliamentary majority. It added that Regenvanu was "not happy about leaving before finishing significant changes to the laws on land ownership".
Carlot said he would continue Regenvanu's reforms aimed at rooting out and prevent corrupt practices.
On 20 March, the ''Vanuatu Daily Post'' issued an article saying it had "seen a number of documents relating to land transactions started by former Minister of Lands
Harry Iauko and involving the present MP for Efate Rural,
Joshua Kalsakau
Joshua Kalsakau is a Vanuatuan politician. In 2005 Kalsakau, then the Minister for Ni-Vanuatu Business and an MP from Efate representing the National Community Association Party, joined the Vanuatu Labour Party. Kalsakau became the president of t ...
". These documents "appear
dto explain ''prima facie'' why the
Labour Party signed or was alleged to have signed the most recent motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Sato Kilman, and why the Labour Party Minister and MPs were subsequently removed from the coalition and the Vanuatu Republican Party brought in, which resulted in the reshuffle of the Ralph Regenvanu from the Lands portfolio". Kalsakau, the article said, had applied for a land lease which Iauko, as Minister for Lands, had approved "without the normal administrative processes". The transaction was, along with all other pending leases, frozen by Regenvanu when he took office as Minister for Lands, for investigation. The ''Daily Post'' stated:
"Minister Regenvanu was repeatedly approached by Ministers of State and by government MPs saying ..he, Regenvanu, had to sign these leases or the government would face a confidence vote. ..Minister Regenvanu has also confirmed he was rung repeatedly by MP Kalsakau demanding registration of his leases. ..Regenvanu took ne of the lease issuesto the Council of Ministers on 10 March: "I don’t want the land to be registered because it is public land, it is a green space where adults and children go for relaxation. Generations of residents of Port Vila have enjoyed this beach. It is immoral for us to register the lease". ..By this time, ..the Labour Party Minister and MPs had already signed the motion and negotiations to bring the Vanuatu Republican Party in to replace the Labour Party were being concluded. The Vanuatu Republican Party’s support for Prime Minister Kilman was conditional on them holding the Lands portfolio. That same afternoon, Labour Party Minister of Justice Ioane Simon was sacked, VRP MP Hon. Alfred Carlot sworn in as new Minister of Lands and Regenvanu transferred to Justice."
Minister for Justice and Social Affairs
Upon taking office as Minister for Justice, Regenvanu issued the following statement:
"As a new Justice Minister I have decided to reform the following systems that have never been properly addressed and left there too long and that has not helped to deliver the proper services to the people of Vanuatu. These include reforming: Customary Lands Tribunal system which is no different from the justice system and is inappropriate, the Custom Governance for the Chiefs to allow this to be properly functional at all levels of the communities in Vanuatu and still require major work to complete, raise a better standard for women, children and people with disabilities in Vanuatu, improve the way of dealing with people who commit crimes in Vanuatu through the Correctional Services and reform the national constitution and other laws of the country that need to be changed through law reform process."["Regenvanu vows to reform justice system"](_blank)
''Vanuatu Daily Post'', 17 March 2011
He added that he would also assist Alfred Carlot in pursuing the reforms he had initiated as Minister for Lands.
Less than two weeks after taking office, he issued a call, "together with a group of chiefs and fellow politicians", for the "descendants of '
blackbirding
Blackbirding involves the coercion of people through deception or kidnapping to work as slaves or poorly paid labourers in countries distant from their native land. The term has been most commonly applied to the large-scale taking of people i ...
' victims living in
Australia" to receive Vanuatu citizenship. Later, in October, he reiterated the call, while in Queensland to chair a meeting bringing together a Vanuatu delegation and descendants of "blackbirded" Melanesian workers in the second half of the 19th century, with an aim for the latter to form a nationally representative body for the community. Regenvanu added he would like Australia to grant seasonal work visas to citizens from Vanuatu.
On 24 April (
Easter Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
), Sato Kilman's government was ousted by a
motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in Parliament, by twenty-six votes to twenty-five.
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor (born 23 April 1955) is a Vanuatuan politician. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.
He was a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a centrist political party, until 2022. When his ...
became Prime Minister in his place, and appointed
a new Cabinet which included neither Regenvanu nor any other of Kilman's ministers.
Yoan Simon, Regenvanu's predecessor, succeeded to the Justice ministry, while
Dominique Morin
"Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born ...
(of the
Republican Party) obtained the Ministry of Lands.
On 13 May, the
Court of Appeal voided Vohor's election (and therefore his premiership), deeming it unconstitutional as he had been elected only by a majority of Members of Parliament (26 out of 52), not by an
absolute majority
A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority r ...
. The premiership reverted to Sato Kilman, and the latter's ministers resumed their posts - although Kilman did not appear to have a parliamentary majority. Regenvanu stated that since Vohor and his cabinet were "illegal, null and void and were never the government of the country", the Kilman government had ''de jure'' been legitimate during the brief interlude of Vohor's ''de facto'' government.
On 16 June, however, Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, in the Supreme Court, ruled that Kilman's premiership was itself null and void, Kilman's election in December not having respected constitutional requirements for a parliamentary secret ballot. Regenvanu lost office on that date.
He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.
In September, Regenvanu announced that the
Customary Land Tribunal
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a r ...
would, for the time being, no longer be hearing any new cases, pending reforms. Recommendations from the
Malvatumauri
The ''Malvatu Mauri'' (Bislama) (National Council of Chiefs) is a formal advisory body of chiefs recognised by the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République ...
(National Council of Chiefs) would be examined with a view to ensuring that "power in lands matters goes back to the customary authorities and village courts", in accordance with the Constitution, which states that land ownership and usage is to be determined by custom. Thus he was able to pursue his policies on land, despite having been reshuffled to the Justice ministry. This was made possible by the enacting, the previous month, of the ''Customary Land Tribunal (Amendment) Act'', a bill introduced to Parliament by Lands Minister
Steven Kalsakau, which transferred jurisdiction for the Land Tribunal from the Lands Ministry to the Justice Ministry.
In late November, Regenvanu stated in Parliament that, despite being a government minister, he would vote with members of the opposition against ratification of Vanuatu's accession to the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
, because many of his constituents opposed it, and because he himself had always opposed it. He did indeed vote against it in Parliament on 1 December, but Vanuatu's accession to the WTO was ratified by 26 votes to 21.
As Justice Minister, Regenvanu also set up a commission of inquiry to determine why the recommendations of coroner Nevin Dawson regarding the death of a man in custody in 2010 -a report "scathingly critical of Vanuatu police"- had never been acted upon. The commission, however, was stopped almost immediately as police commissioner Joshua Bong sought a judicial review of it. In 2010, before becoming a minister, Regenvanu had already accused Bong of trying to "derail the coroner's inquest" into the prisoner's death in custody.
On 16 January 2012, Regenvanu received a letter from Prime Minister Kilman terminating his position as minister. Regenvanu said the letter accused him of being disloyal to the government, without further explanation, although he thought it might be due to his having voted against Vanuatu's entry in the World Trade Organization. He described his sacking as "appropriate", as no minister in the country's history had ever voted against a government bill before, but said that he did not regret voting against WTO accession, as he had voted in accordance with the wishes of people. He added that, being outside the cabinet, he would now "be able to be much more critical of government policy and ask questions - something I wasn't able to do as a minister". In a press release shortly thereafter, he evoked the other reasons which might have led to his dismissal, presenting himself as a conviction politician who had opposed government decisions he saw as wrong:
I ..did not support the recent Council of Ministers decision to appoint Mme Titam Ghoiset as Roving Ambassador to Russia with a 15% commission on any money she obtains for Vanuatu, so this may be another of my transgressions.
I have also spoken publicly, in political awareness campaigns, about my opposition to the use of Government funds to increase the salaries and benefits of politicians. ..I have also publicly stated my opposition to the recent decision ..to provide new cars at Government expense to four MPs: the First and Second Deputy Speakers, the Leader of Government Business and the Government Whip
A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology ...
.. at a time when many teachers and nurses are still waiting to receive outstanding salaries owed to them. This may be another of my transgressions.
Also, in December last year, I wrote to the Prime Minister asking that Vanuatu not enter into any further relations with Indonesia given the massive human rights violations being committed by the Indonesian army in West Papua in that same month: a few days after receiving my letter the Prime Minister traveled to Indonesia to sign a Development Cooperation Agreement with that country which purports to prevent the Vanuatu Government from talking about the issue of West Papuan independence. The signing of this Agreement has not been endorsed by the Council of Ministers."
A few days later, he formally left the government
backbench
In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the " ...
es and became in independent member once more.
Summing up what he had achieved as Minister for Justice, Regenvanu said he had enabled the salaries of lawyers at the Public Solicitor's Office to match those at the Attorney General's Office, so that "the Public Solicitor can now attract and retain quality lawyers to serve needy people". He had brought about an amendment of the ''Law Commission Act'' "to provide a role for chiefs, churches, women and youth in screening all bills before they came before Parliament". He had begun a draft bill to "return jurisdiction over land disputes to chiefs at the community or '
nakamal' level".
Second term as Member of Parliament
In the
October 2012 general election, Regenvanu was re-elected MP for Port Vila, with 2,250 votes, "in excess of 1000 votes more than any other candidate in the country", beating his own previous national record for the highest victory in a parliamentary election.
["Melanesian politics: Stael blong Vanuatu"](_blank)
''The Interpreter'', 20 November 2012 His Land and Justice Party obtained four seats in Parliament. Jenny Hayward-Jones, for the
Lowy Institute for International Policy
The Lowy Institute is an independent think tank founded in April 2003 by Frank Lowy to conduct original, policy-relevant research about international political, strategic and economic issues from an Australian perspective. It is based in Sydney, ...
, commented: "The country's young people
��are likely to have their eye on 43-year-old Ralph Regenvanu
.. He is ambitious and offers a younger constituency a more effective voice in the parliament than that often delivered by the country's leaders. Whether he has what it takes to rise to the top job however, is less certain".
In March 2013, described by the ''Daily Post'' as a "popular young leader" on the Opposition benches, he strongly criticised what he saw as the Kilman government's lack of "
fiscal responsibility
A balanced budget (particularly that of a government) is a budget in which revenues are equal to expenditures. Thus, neither a budget deficit nor a budget surplus exists (the accounts "balance"). More generally, it is a budget that has no budget ...
", with a lack of funding for decentralisation or for students' scholarships, while ministers and MPs still had their foreign travels funded. During a speech in Parliament criticising budget priorities, he mentioned Kilman's "directive to the Public Service not to buy any new cars, and then they went and bought 25 million
vatu worth of new vehicles. So who is the boss of the Public Service? Are you - the Prime Minister - not the boss?" Highlighting the country's trade deficit, he added: "We see less exports and more imports. Since we joined the WTO, less exports and more imports. Local businesses are breaking down. We spend hundreds of millions of vatu in trade, but what do we do with it? We talk about more development needed in the productive sector, but kill it off". He nonetheless noted the budget safeguards on spending on education and health, and voted in favour of the budget so as not to block necessary spending on public services.
A few days later, the
Pacific Institute of Public Policy, describing him as a "
populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develope ...
", noted his "directness, which can be perceived within some quarters as pushing beyond the boundary of the
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, ...
n culture of respect for authority".
In June 2015, he and his fellow Land and Justice Party MPs (
Alfred Maoh,
Gillion Williams and
Daniel Nalet) published the details of their use of their parliamentary allocation funding for community purposes, most notably "to establish academic scholarships schemes in their constituencies". Informing the public of their use of these funds had been a campaign pledge.
Appointment to Cabinet during second term
Regenvanu initially sat on the Opposition benches. On 21 March 2013, the government of Prime Minister
Sato Kilman
Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu (born 30 December 1957) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu on four occasions, most recently from June 2015 to February 2016. Kilman was previously Prime Minister from December 2010 to April 2 ...
fell when it lost the confidence of Parliament, and Regenvanu's ally
Moana Carcasses Kalosil
Moana Carcasses Kalosil (born 27 January 1963) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from March 2013 to May 2014. He was the first naturalized citizen of Vanuatu to become the country's prime minister.
Carcasses was ousted ...
became Prime Minister two days later. Carcasses appointed him Minister for Lands, Geology, Mines, Energy and Water resources. Regenvanu stated "I’ve been preparing for it for a while, to get into this Ministry", adding: "I think eighty percent of my time will be taken up with cleaning up the mess that’s been left". He announced he would pursue the reforms which he had begun to initiate during his previous (brief) term as Minister for Lands. He would once more seek to overhaul and regulate the leasing and selling of public lands.
Shortly after his appointment, he announced his intention to reform land law, to enshrine customary ownership of lands, and ensure that lands could not be leased without the consent of their collective traditional owners. This would be achieved by drawing inspiration from the
Australian
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...
's
Northern Land Council
The Northern Land Council (NLC) is a land council representing the Aboriginal peoples of the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia, with its head office in Darwin.
While the NLC was established in 1974, its origins began in the strug ...
, which is designed to safeguard Aboriginal customary land ownership. Describing himself as a "notorious critic" of free trade and foreign ownership of lands, he added: "New Zealand, Australia and the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
are saying that we need to get away from
ustomary ownership but I totally disagree. We need to enshrine it so that cultural land-owning groups or land-stewarding groups never lose control of the resource". He suggested that the government should encourage and support an agriculture-based economy, empowering customary land-owners.
As Minister for Lands, he introduced a proposal whereby land leases would necessarily be examined by a committee, thus depriving the ministry itself of the power to lease lands without any external controls. This was a response to alleged acts of corruption carried out by previous ministers. This unprecedented reform was described as part of Regenvanu's ongoing measures against corruption. More generally, his proposals sought to "untangle a whole series of obscure rules on customary landownership", and provide clarity to landowners. The bill based on his proposals was adopted as the Customary Land Management Act in December 2013. Under this law, land ownership is henceforth determined by customary institutions, rather than the ordinary courts. In addition, the
Malvatu Mauri (council of chiefs) must be consulted on legislation relating to land. And "the Minister of Land no longer has the power to unilaterally approve any dealings on land"; "every land dealing has to be approved by the Land Management Planning Committee".
He crossed the floor with his party on 15 May 2014 to help bring down the Carcasses government. New Prime Minister
Joe Natuman maintained Regenvanu at his post as Minister for Lands.
Following the devastation caused by
cyclone Pam
Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam was the second most intense tropical cyclone of the South Pacific Ocean in terms of sustained winds and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. A total of 15–16 people lost ...
in March 2015, he purchased one million
vatu worth of rice to distribute as food relief to his constituents. He lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a
motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
.
Appointment to Cabinet during third term
Regenvanu's
Land and Justice Party finished in joint first place during the
January 2016 general election, obtaining six seats out of fifty-two. He led his party into a large coalition government, under Prime Minister
Charlot Salwai
Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas (born 24 April 1963)["Hon. Charlot Salwai"](_blank)
Vanuatu Pa ...
. On 11 February, Regenvanu was allocated the Lands and Natural resources portfolio, while fellow party member
Alfred Maoh was made Minister for Internal Affairs.
On 19 December 2017, he was reshuffled to the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade. In July 2018, in response to rumours that Vanuatu might allow the People's Republic of China to build a military harbour on its territory, Regenvanu denied it, while praising the benefits of Chinese investments in the country, and noting that the story had led to increased Australian engagement with Vanuatu. In September, he urged member states at the
Pacific Island Forum to endorse Vanuatu's initiative to have
West Papua added to the
United Nations list of non-self-governing territories
Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter defines a non-self-governing territory (NSGT) as a territory "whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government". In practice, an NSGT is a territory deemed by the United Nations Gene ...
. While the Forum's ensuing statement merely recognised the need to pursue "constructive engagement with Indonesia with respect to elections and human rights in West Papua", Regenvanu reached out also for support from the
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
The movement originated in the aftermath ...
, the
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) is a group of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. Formerly known as African, Caribbean and Pacific Group ...
(with bilateral meetings with some of those states' representatives), and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
, and succeeded in having the subject placed on the agenda of the
Caricom Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting and the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of member states of the African Union, 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling fo ...
Summit. In June 2019 he again urged the Pacific Island Forum to take a stronger stance on West Papua, and during a meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
, argued New Zealand could help by pressing Indonesia to allow the Forum to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the territory.
In early 2019 he was made Chairman of the Task Force on the Constitutional Review, tasked with organising consultations in view of a
referendum in June to regulate and stabilise the organisation of political parties in the country.
Leader of the Opposition
Following the
2020 general election
The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...
in which the Land and Justice Party obtained more seats (nine) than any other, Regenvanu was the outgoing government's candidate to succeed Charlot Salwai as Prime Minister. He received the votes of 21 MPs, to 31 for Opposition candidate
Bob Loughman (of the
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati () is a democratic socialist political party in Vanuatu.
History
The party was founded on 17 August 1971 by Walter Lini as the New Hebridean Cultural Association, renamed later that same year as the New Hebrides National Part ...
). Loughman became Prime Minister, while Regenvanu became Leader of the Opposition, leading a coalition which includes the
Reunification Movement for Change
The Reunification Movement for Change (sometimes written as the Reunification of Movements for Change) is a political party in Vanuatu resulting from a split in the Union of Moderate Parties
The Union of Moderate Parties (french: Union des parti ...
, the
Leaders' Party and the
National United Party as well as his own Land and Justice Party.
In June 2020, he introduced a motion in Parliament proposing a six-month 50% cut to the salaries of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (himself), the Speaker, the deputy Prime Minister and all other ministers, and the deputy Leader of the Opposition, as a cost-cutting measure in response to the
recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
caused by the country having had to close its borders to protect itself from the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Artist
Regenvanu is also a
painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
and
illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...
and, in 1996, published an article entitled "Transforming representations: Contemporary art of Vanuatu" in the book "Arts of Vanuatu", which provided the first historical survey of the development of contemporary art in Vanuatu. In 2004, he provided the illustrations for a book on ni-Vanuatu legends produced by the Vanuatu Cultural Centre.
In May 2006, he was an artist in residence at the British Museum, and produced a painting which was subsequently exhibited as part of the traveling exhibition "Treasures of the British Museum". His work has also been featured in ''
The Contemporary Pacific''.
['' The Contemporary Pacific'', vol.19, n°2, autumn 2007, pp. ix-ix, ]
References
External links
"Educational Initiatives of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre" Ralph Regenvanu, ''in'' Kabina Sanga, John Niroa, Kalmele Matai & Linda Crowl (eds.), ''Rethinking Vanuatu Education Together'', University of the South Pacific, 2004,
Image of Regenvanu's painting ''The Melanesia Project'', and artist's statement thereupon Vanuatu Cultural Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regenvanu, Ralph
1970 births
Living people
Members of the Parliament of Vanuatu
Government ministers of Vanuatu
Justice ministers
Vanuatuan anthropologists
Vanuatuan painters
People from Suva
Australian National University alumni
Foreign Ministers of Vanuatu
Male painters
20th-century painters
20th-century anthropologists
21st-century painters
21st-century male artists
Land and Justice Party politicians