29 Facts About Edward Natapei

Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki was a Vanuatuan politician.

Edward Natapei was the prime minister of Vanuatu on two occasions, and was previously the minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting president of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 and the deputy prime minister.

Edward Natapei was the president of the Vanua'aku Pati, a socialist, Anglophone political party.

When Sope lost a vote of no confidence, Edward Natapei became Prime Minister on 13 April 2001, receiving 27 votes in parliament, with one vote against him.

Edward Natapei retained the position after the May 2002 election.

Edward Natapei supported Ham Lini for the post of prime minister, but Lini was defeated; however, Serge Vohor was ousted in a motion of no confidence and Ham Lini was elected prime minister.

Edward Natapei became minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities in the Lini-led government in July 2005.

Edward Natapei was elected Prime Minister on 22 September 2008, by the Parliament of Vanuatu after three weeks of negotiations following the country's September 2nd general election.

Edward Natapei received 27 of the 52 votes in Parliament to become prime minister for a second time and a second non-consecutive term.

Edward Natapei narrowly beat his nearest opponent, Maxime Carlot Korman, another former Vanuatu Prime Minister and the leader of the Vanuatu Republican Party, who captured 25 votes in Parliament.

Edward Natapei succeeded Ham Lini as prime minister and headed a new coalition government encompassing his own Vanua'aku Pati, as well as Lini's National United Party, independents and several smaller political parties, such as Namangi Aute.

Edward Natapei pledged to continue the policies and reforms of the outgoing Lini government.

Edward Natapei announced that some of his government's primary policies would include transparency, good governance and fighting corruption.

Opposition leader Maxime Carlot Korman attempted a vote of no confidence motion just two days after Edward Natapei became prime minister.

Nevertheless, another motion of no confidence was attempted on 25 November 2008; Edward Natapei survived the vote by a narrow margin of 26 to 24.

Three Vanua'aku Pati MPs signed the motion of no confidence, and after they refused to withdraw their signatures, Edward Natapei suspended them from the party immediately prior to the vote.

In November 2009 Prime Minister Edward Natapei, facing another vote of no confidence, organized a second major cabinet reshuffle.

Edward Natapei removed half of his cabinet members and cut ties with two political parties, the National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party, when it was revealed that the parties and their members were planning to launch a no confidence motion against his government.

Edward Natapei replaced the sacked cabinet members with sixteen members from the opposition Alliance.

On 27 November 2009, Edward Natapei became ineligible to continue serving as prime minister.

On December 2,2010 Edward Natapei was ousted by a vote of no confidence.

On June 16,2011 however, Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek ruled in a case put forward by Edward Natapei, contesting the constitutionality of Kilman's election.

Kilman's premiership was annulled, and Edward Natapei was restored as interim prime minister, instructed to convene Parliament for the election of a new prime minister.

Edward Natapei immediately indicated that he himself would not be a candidate for the position, and that he would support Serge Vohor's candidacy.

Edward Natapei named his government's cabinet line-up on 22 September 2008, the day of his election as prime minister.

Edward Natapei's cabinet included members of his own Vanua'aku Pati as well as the National United Party.

Edward Natapei was Leader of the Opposition during Sato Kilman's premiership.

Edward Natapei lost office when the Carcasses government was brought down by a motion of no confidence on 15 May 2014.

Edward Natapei died on 28 July 2015 at the age of 61 following a long illness.