Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Veteran Vanuatu politician launches new party

Posted at 07:18 on 26 June, 2012 UTC

The leader of a new political party in Vanuatu, Willie Jimmy, says he believes the country will never again have a single-party government.

The former Minister of Finance and ambassador to Beijing has launched a new political party, the Vanuatu Liberal Party.

Mr Jimmy stood in the 2008 election for the National United Party in Port Vila, and says his new party will field 12 candidates around the country.

He says he named the party liberal because he believes Vanuatu needs to open up its economy.

“Unless the constitution is amended to limit the number of parties, or to increase the seats in parliament, I guarantee, and I agree, there will not be any single party winning a majority of the members. There will have to be another coalition.”

Vanuatu politician, Willie Jimmy