Vanuatu parties begin campaign, despite lack of candidates list

Several political parties in Vanuatu have already launched their election campaigns despite delays to the publication of the official candidates list.

The Electoral Commission was supposed to publish the names of over 200 candidates on Tuesday night, but that has been delayed because some government offices were slow to provide required information.

Potential candidates had until Tuesday to pay government debts and application fees, but there are reports of some candidates queueing outside Treasury yesterday to pay.

A former prime minister and leader of the Vanua'aku party, Joe Natuman, says the former opposition bloc in the dissolved parliament is not waiting for the list, and has already begun its 13-day campaign.

"The campaign period is only two weeks, the longer we delay the less time there is for candidates to do their campaigning. So, as of yesterday, the campaign has already started and people are now waiting to see whose name has been approved by the commission."

The official end of campaigning is at midnight on January the 19th, with the election on the 22nd.

RNZI