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(Redirected from Prime Minister of Vanuatu)

The 'prime minister of Vanuatu' is the effective head of the government of Vanuatu.
In accordance with Article 41 of Vanuatu's constitution, the prime minister is appointed by Parliament from amongst its members. The election is conducted with a secret ballot. Article 43 of the constitution allows for a prime minister to be removed by a vote of no confidence, although the motion which starts this process must be signed by at least a sixth of Parliament and must be presented a week in advance of the vote. In a vote of no confidence, a prime minister can be deposed by an absolute majority of Parliament, although he or she will continue to carry out the functions of office until a successor is elected.
The prime minister is the head of Vanuatu's cabinet, and is responsible for appointing and dismissing ministers. All ministerial appointments are tied to the prime minister's tenure, meaning that if a prime minister dies or resigns, the entire cabinet is dismissed.
The position of prime minister was created when Vanuatu obtained its independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lini becoming the office-holder. The position is sometimes seen as a continuation of the older office of Chief Minister, which existed before Vanuatu obtained its independence. So far, seven people have served as prime minister of Vanuatu, sometimes on multiple occasions.

	'Name'	'Took Office'	'Left Office'	'Party'
1	Walter Lini	30 July 1980	6 September 1991	Vanua'aku Party
2	Donald Kalpokas	6 September 1991	16 December 1991	Vanua'aku Party
3	Maxime Carlot Korman	16 December 1991	21 December 1995	Union of Moderate Parties
4	Serge Vohor	21 December 1995	23 February 1996	Union of Moderate Parties
	Maxime Carlot Korman, 2nd time	23 February 1996	30 September 1996	Union of Moderate Parties
	Serge Vohor, 2nd time	30 September 1996	30 March 1998	Union of Moderate Parties
	Donald Kalpokas, 2nd time	30 March 1998	25 November 1999	Vanua'aku Party
5	Barak Sopé	25 November 1999	13 April 2001	Melanesian Progressive Party
6	Edward Natapei	13 April 2001	29 July 2004	Vanua'aku Party
	Serge Vohor, 3rd time	29 July 2004	11 December 2004	Union of Moderate Parties
7	Ham Lini	11 December 2004	(present)	National United Party