Donald Kalpokas

Donald Kalpokas Masike-Vanua (born August 23, 1943 in Efate , New Hebrides , † March 20, 2019 ) was a politician and two-time Prime Minister of Vanuatu .

Political activities before independence

In June 1971 he founded the "New Hebridian Culture Association" with John Bennett Bani and Walter Hadye Lini , which endeavored to combine traditional lifestyles with Western influences. This association quickly developed into the New Hebrides National Party, later known as Vanua'aku Pati.

Political activities after independence

After independence, he was a member of the government of Walter Hadye Lini in 1983 and 1987 to 1991 as foreign minister.

From September 6, 1991 to September 16, 1991 he was the successor to Lini himself prime minister of a transitional government. From March 30, 1998 to November 25, 1999 he was again Prime Minister and temporarily (1998) also held the office of Foreign Minister, after his "Vanua'aku Pati" had received 18 of the 52 seats in the Legislative Assembly in the elections. Together with Lini's “National United Party”, which won 11 seats, he formed a coalition government, replacing the previous Prime Minister Serge Vohor .

In August 2004 Kalpokas ran unsuccessfully for president. After Willie David Saul with 27 and Kalpokas with 26 votes had not achieved the constitutional majority in the ballot on August 13, 2004 and the ballots on August 16, 2004 initially also failed to produce a majority for one of the candidates, the Chief Justice decided that the Election assembly should meet until the constitutional election of a president. Kalpokas withdrew his candidacy, so that finally Kalkot Mataskelekele was elected president with 49 votes out of 7 votes for Saul.

Web links

• Kalpokas (Masike-Vanua), Donald. In: rulers.org. (English).