22 Facts About Serge Vohor

Serge Vohor hailed from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.

When his party came to power in 1991, Serge Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu for the first of three times, until 1993.

Serge Vohor has been Prime Minister four times, from December 1995 to February 1996; from September 1996 to March 1998; from 28 July 2004, to 11 December 2004; and from 24 April 2011 to 13 May 2011.

In October 2015, Serge Vohor was one of 15 MPs to be convicted of bribery by the Vanuatu Supreme Court and was jailed for three years.

Serge Vohor was Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Kilman government at the time of his conviction.

Serge Vohor's party did not regain power in the 2002 parliamentary elections, but Vohor served as foreign minister for a third time from 2002 until 2003.

However, Serge Vohor managed to form a coalition including independents and members of other parties to be elected Prime Minister.

Serge Vohor was elected Prime Minister by the Parliament with 28 votes, with his opponent, Ham Lini receiving 24.

Serge Vohor gained international attention when, on 3 November 2004, while on a secret visit to Taipei, he established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China without approval from the Council of Ministers.

Serge Vohor then took the matter to the Court of Appeal, but it ruled against him; he was defeated in the no-confidence vote and replaced by Ham Lini.

In March 2006, Serge Vohor led an attempt to depose Lini through a no confidence vote, focusing on accusing Lini of weakness.

On 27 July 2007, Serge Vohor, who was serving as Minister of Public Utilities, allegedly assaulted an official from the Finance Ministry due to his pay being delayed.

Serge Vohor said that one reason the UMP was being excluded from the government was because of its strength, and said that the party would try to return to the government.

Serge Vohor's election was declared invalid on 13 May 2011, as he had been elected only by a relative majority in Parliament, not an absolute one.

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

In June 2015, following a further change of government, Serge Vohor became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Sato Kilman.

Serge Vohor was found to have accepted 1,000,000 vatu from Moana Carcasses MP, in return for support in a motion of no-confidence against the government of Joe Natuman.

At one point during the trial, Serge Vohor attacked a photographer outside the court house.

Serge Vohor was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his involvement in the bribery scandal.

Serge Vohor was convicted for conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Serge Vohor was pardoned by the President of Vanuatu, Tallis Obed Moses, in September 2021, which restores his eligibility to run for public office again.

Serge Vohor died on Espiritu Santo on 22 November 2024, aged 69.