At stake in this election:

• 52 seats in the Parliament

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Father John BANI *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI
• Assembly: Vanuatu has a unicameral Parliament with 52 seats.

* The electoral college consists of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils

Description of electoral system:

• The President Father is elected by an electoral college to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Parliament 52 members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Vanuaaku Party (VP)
  • Leader: Edward NATAPEI
  • Seats won in last election: 18
  • Seats won in this election: 14
• Party: National United Party (NUP)
  • Leader: Dinh VAN THOU
  • Seats won in last election: 11
  • Seats won in this election: 8
• Party: Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP)
  • Leader: Barak SOPE
  • Seats won in last election: 0
  • Seats won in this election: 3
• Party: Union of Moderate Parties (UMP)
  • Leader: Serge VOHOR
  • Seats won in last election: 12
  • Seats won in this election: 15

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held March 6, 1998.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 192,910 (July 2001 )
• Registered Voters: N/A

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 94,854 (2002)

·         Is Vanuatu a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Vanuatu ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (8 September 1995)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 1 (following the 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 134 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Vanuatu a signatory to CRPD: Yes (17 May 2007)

·         Has Vanuatu ratified CRPD: Yes (23 October 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 28,936 (est.)