Constitution of Vanuatu
Encyclopedia
The Constitution of Vanuatu is the supreme law of the Republic of Vanuatu
. It was enacted in 1979, and came into force upon the country's independence on 30 July 1980.
The Constitution asserts Vanuatu to be a "sovereign democratic state", with sovereignty vested in "the people of Vanuatu which they exercise through their elected representatives". The Constitution enumerates certain "fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual", establishes a basic citizenship law, and establishes and regulates the country's major political, judicial, and cultural institutions. Amongst the latter are the President
; unicameral
Parliament
; an advisory National Council of Chiefs
; the Prime Minister directly elected by Parliament; the Supreme Court; and the Court of Appeal. Bislama, English
, and French
are declared to be the country's "official languages", with English and French as the "principal languages of education".
The electoral franchise is guaranteed as "universal, equal and secret", and in principle is extended to all adults aged 18 years or older. Members of the National Council of Chiefs are to be "elected by their peers". An unusual feature of the Constitution is that the President is elected by an electoral college
, made up of members of Parliament and the chairpersons of the local government councils.
Executive government is expressly placed in the hands of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
. The duties of the President are mostly ceremonial; for example, the appointment and dismissal of ministers is the formal responsibility of the Prime Minister alone.
The Constitution also makes provision for the ownership of land, including a prohibition on anyone other than "indigenous citizens" owning land.
Constitutional amendments are by parliamentary legislation, passed by at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament at a sitting at which at least three-quarters of members are present. Certain amendments must also be approved at a referendum
before they can become law.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. It was enacted in 1979, and came into force upon the country's independence on 30 July 1980.
The Constitution asserts Vanuatu to be a "sovereign democratic state", with sovereignty vested in "the people of Vanuatu which they exercise through their elected representatives". The Constitution enumerates certain "fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual", establishes a basic citizenship law, and establishes and regulates the country's major political, judicial, and cultural institutions. Amongst the latter are the President
President of Vanuatu
The President of Vanuatu is the head of state of Vanuatu. The President is elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils.The President's role is mostly ceremonial...
; unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
Parliament
Parliament of Vanuatu
The Parliament is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Vanuatu.It was established by chapter 4 of the 1980 Constitution, upon Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom....
; an advisory National Council of Chiefs
Malvatu Mauri
The Malvatu Mauri, or National Council of Chiefs, is a formal advisory body of chiefs recognised by the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu. Members of the Council are elected by their fellow chiefs sitting in district councils of chiefs...
; the Prime Minister directly elected by Parliament; the Supreme Court; and the Court of Appeal. Bislama, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
are declared to be the country's "official languages", with English and French as the "principal languages of education".
The electoral franchise is guaranteed as "universal, equal and secret", and in principle is extended to all adults aged 18 years or older. Members of the National Council of Chiefs are to be "elected by their peers". An unusual feature of the Constitution is that the President is elected by an electoral college
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
, made up of members of Parliament and the chairpersons of the local government councils.
Executive government is expressly placed in the hands of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers of Vanuatu
The Cabinet of Vanuatu is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Vanuatu....
. The duties of the President are mostly ceremonial; for example, the appointment and dismissal of ministers is the formal responsibility of the Prime Minister alone.
The Constitution also makes provision for the ownership of land, including a prohibition on anyone other than "indigenous citizens" owning land.
Constitutional amendments are by parliamentary legislation, passed by at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament at a sitting at which at least three-quarters of members are present. Certain amendments must also be approved at a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
before they can become law.