Nagriamel
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Nagriamel | |
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Nagriamel (sometimes seen as Vemarana, Vemerana or the Nagriamel Customs Union or Nagriamel Movement) is a political party in Vanuatu.
History
The party was established in January 1966 at a meeting of chiefs in Espiritu Santo convened by Chief Buluk of Big Bay.[1] The first territory-wide political movement in the New Hebrides, by 1969 it was estimated to have around 10,000 members (around one in eight of the population), mostly in the north of the territory.[1] The name 'Nagriamel' was taken from combining the names of two plants, nagria (a croton) and mel (a cycas).[1] Soon after its establishment, Jimmy Stevens became involved with the party after offering to sell guns to the chiefs.[1] He used much of the funds donated to the party to build an agricultural complex in Vanafo.[1]
The party called for the return of all European-owned land that had not been used for agricultural development,
As the independence movement gathered momentum after 1975, led by the more Anglo-centric
Following independence, the party contested the 1983 elections, winning one seat, taken by Harry Karaeu. This seat was lost in the 1987 elections, but the party won a seat again in the 1991 elections. The party retained its single seat in the 1995 elections, but lost their parliamentary representation in the 1998 elections. It regained a seat in the 2008 elections, with Havo Moli elected in Malo/Aore.[2] Moli was subsequently appointed Minister for Agriculture.
In the 2012 elections the party won three seats, with Moli joined in parliament by Samsen Samson and John Lum.[2] It retained all three seats in the 2016 elections before losing two in 2020. In the 2022 election the party retained its only seat and remained in the opposition.
The party tends to support Vanuatu's status as a
Election results
Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Jimmy Stevens | 650 | 1.26 (#4) | 0 / 29
|
New | Extra-parliamentary |
1977 | Boycotted | 0 / 38
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | ||
1979 | Did not contest | 0 / 39
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | ||
1983 | 1,254 | 2.84 (#4) | 1 / 39
|
1 | Opposition | |
1987 | 766 | 1.36 (#1) | 0 / 46
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
1991 | 1,822 | 2.93 (#6) | 1 / 46
|
1 | Opposition | |
1995 | ? | 1,337 | 1.76 (#1) | 1 / 50
|
0 | Opposition |
1998 | 162 | 0.23 (#13) | 0 / 52
|
1 | Extra-parliamentary | |
2002 | 505 | 0.64 (#14) | 0 / 52
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
2004 | 405 | 0.44 (#16) | 0 / 52
|
0 | Extra-parliamentary | |
2008 | 3,016 | 2.87 (#10) | 1 / 52
|
1 | Coalition | |
2012 | 5,092 | 4.23 (#7) | 3 / 52
|
2 | Coalition | |
2016 | Moli Abel Nako | 4,128 | 3.65 (#9) | 3 / 52
|
0 | Coalition |
2020 | Song Keaspai | 2,980 | 2.07 (#10) | 1 / 52
|
2 | Opposition |
2022 | 3,240 | 2.45 (#9) | 1 / 52
|
0 | Opposition |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Chief President Moses": Man with a message for 10,000 New Hebrideans, Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1969, pp23–25
- ^ a b Nagriamel movement still has strongholds support: Patunvanu Daily Post, 2 January 2016