# Prime Minister of Vanuatu

The prime minister of Vanuatu is the head of government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The office of prime minister was created under the Constitution of Vanuatu upon the country's independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lini becoming the first office-holder. The position is sometimes seen as a continuation of the older office of Chief Minister, which existed before Vanuatu obtained its independence. According to the Constitution, the prime minister is elected by the Parliament, of which s/he must be a member. The prime minister directly appoints or dismisses members of the Council of Ministers (cabinet ministers).
So far 13 men have served as Prime Minister of Vanuatu, some on multiple occasions.
The current prime minister is Jotham Napat from the Leaders Party of Vanuatu, since 11 February 2025.

## Disputes

In November 2009, Prime Minister Edward Natapei was briefly declared by the Speaker to have lost his seat over a procedural technicality. The courts invalidated the ruling, and Natapei regained his seat, and thus the premiership.
Serge Vohor's fourth term in office, from April to May 2011, is included in the list below, although his election to the premiership was voided as unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal on 13 May, on the grounds that he had been elected only by a majority of members of Parliament (26 out of 52), not by an absolute majority. Ralph Regenvanu, who regained his position as Minister for Justice after the annulment of Vohor's premiership, stated: "Prime Minister Serge Vohor and his cabinet are illegal, null and void and were never the government of the country."
Similarly, Sato Kilman's term is included although it was also voided, by a ruling from Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek on 16 June 2011, finding that Kilman's election in December 2010 had not been in conformity with the requirements for a secret parliamentary ballot set out in article 41 of the Constitution. Thus, following Edward Natapei's ousting in a valid motion of no confidence in December 2010, Vanuatu had no lawfully constituted government until Natapei was restored in June with instructions from the court to convene Parliament for the election of a prime minister. This was done on 26 June, resulting in Sato Kilman's election to the premiership by Parliament – his first legally recognised term as prime minister.

## List of prime ministers

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Elected | Government |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Elected | Government |
| 1 | | Walter Lini (1942–1999) | 30 July 1980 | 6 September 1991 | 11 years, 38 days | Vanua'aku Pati | 1983 1987 | Lini I–II–III |
| – | | Donald Kalpokas (1943–2019) Acting | 6 September 1991 | 16 December 1991 | 101 days | Vanua'aku Pati | – | Lini III |
| 2 | | Maxime Carlot Korman (born 1941) | 16 December 1991 | 21 December 1995 | 4 years, 5 days | Union of Moderate Parties | 1991 | Korman I |
| 3 | | Serge Vohor (1955–2024) | 21 December 1995 | 23 February 1996 (Vote of no confidence) | 64 days | Union of Moderate Parties | 1995 | Vohor I |
| (2) | | Maxime Carlot Korman (born 1941) | 23 February 1996 | 30 September 1996 (Vote of no confidence) | 220 days | Union of Moderate Parties | — | Korman II |
| (3) | | Serge Vohor (1955–2024) | 30 September 1996 | 30 March 1998 | 1 year, 181 days | Union of Moderate Parties | — | Vohor II |
| 4 | | Donald Kalpokas (1943–2019) | 30 March 1998 | 25 November 1999 | 1 year, 240 days | Vanua'aku Pati | 1998 | Kalpokas |
| 5 | | Barak Sopé (born 1955) | 25 November 1999 | 13 April 2001 (Resigned) | 1 year, 139 days | Melanesian Progressive Party | — | Sopé |
| 6 | | Edward Natapei (1954–2015) | 13 April 2001 | 29 July 2004 | 3 years, 107 days | Vanua'aku Pati | 2002 | Natapei I–II |
| (3) | | Serge Vohor (1955–2024) | 29 July 2004 | 11 December 2004 (Vote of no confidence) | 135 days | Union of Moderate Parties | 2004 | Vohor III |
| 7 | | Ham Lini (born 1951) | 11 December 2004 | 22 September 2008 | 3 years, 286 days | National United Party | — | Lini |
| (6) | | Edward Natapei (1954–2015) | 22 September 2008 | 27 November 2009 (Removed) | 1 year, 66 days | Vanua'aku Pati | 2008 | Natapei III |
| – | | Serge Vohor (1955–2024) Acting | 27 November 2009 | 5 December 2009 | 8 days | Union of Moderate Parties | — | Natapei III |
| (6) | | Edward Natapei (1954–2015) | 5 December 2009 (Reinstated) | 2 December 2010 (Vote of no confidence) | 362 days | Vanua'aku Pati | — | Natapei III |
| 8 | | Sato Kilman (born 1957) | 2 December 2010 | 24 April 2011 (Vote of no confidence) | 143 days | People's Progressive Party | — | Kilman I |
| (3) | | Serge Vohor (1955–2024) | 24 April 2011 | 13 May 2011 (Removed) | 19 days | Union of Moderate Parties | — | Vohor IV |
| (8) | | Sato Kilman (born 1957) | 13 May 2011 | 16 June 2011 (Removed) | 34 days | People's Progressive Party | — | Kilman II |
| – | | Edward Natapei (1954–2015) Acting | 16 June 2011 | 26 June 2011 | 10 days | Vanua'aku Pati | — | Interim |
| (8) | | Sato Kilman (born 1957) | 26 June 2011 (Reinstated) | 23 March 2013 (Resigned) | 1 year, 270 days | People's Progressive Party | 2012 | Kilman III–IV |
| 9 | | Moana Carcasses Kalosil (born 1963) | 23 March 2013 | 15 May 2014 (Vote of no confidence) | 1 year, 53 days | Green Confederation | — | Carcasses |
| 10 | | Joe Natuman (born 1952) | 15 May 2014 | 11 June 2015 (Vote of no confidence) | 1 year, 27 days | Vanua'aku Pati | — | Natuman |
| (8) | | Sato Kilman (born 1957) | 11 June 2015 | 11 February 2016 | 245 days | People's Progressive Party | — | Kilman V |
| 11 | | Charlot Salwai (born 1963) | 11 February 2016 | 20 April 2020 | 4 years, 69 days | Reunification Movement for Change | 2016 | Salwai |
| 12 | | Bob Loughman (born 1961) | 20 April 2020 | 4 November 2022 | 2 years, 198 days | Vanua'aku Pati | 2020 | Loughman |
| 13 | | Ishmael Kalsakau (born 19??) | 4 November 2022 | 4 September 2023 | 304 days | Union of Moderate Parties | 2022 | Kalsakau |
| (8) | | Sato Kilman (born 1957) | 4 September 2023 | 6 October 2023 | 32 days | People's Progressive Party | — | Kilman VI |
| (11) | | Charlot Salwai (born 1963) | 6 October 2023 | 11 February 2025 | 1 year, 128 days | Reunification Movement for Change | — | Salwai II |
| 14 | | Jotham Napat (born 1972) | 11 February 2025 | Incumbent | 28 days | Leaders Party of Vanuatu | 2025 | Napat |