Vanuatu's political system is based on its Constitution, also called Mama Law. Public authority is exercised through the President, Parliament, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, courts, public administration, provincial and municipal authorities, and customary institutions. These bodies do not all have the same role: national institutions govern at the country level, while provincial and municipal bodies deliver public functions closer to local communities. Vanuatu has six provinces, 71 Area Councils and three municipalities. Elections select representatives for Parliament, Provincial Government Councils and Municipal Councils. Parliament has 52 seats across 18 constituencies, and voters use one-vote candidate elections; the detailed rules differ between single-member and multi-member constituencies. The President and the leadership of the Malvatumauri are chosen indirectly rather than through a direct nationwide presidential election. Constitutional questions may also be submitted to a referendum. Understanding Vanuatu politics therefore requires distinguishing the institutions that exercise state power from the electoral processes that select representatives or decide constitutional questions.
Politics in Vanuatu
Politics in Vanuatu is organized through a constitutional democratic republic and elected representative bodies. The system combines national institutions with provincial, municipal and customary institutions across the archipelago. State responsibilities and elections are closely connected but cover different questions: state institutions exercise public authority, while elections select representatives for several levels of government.
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