A record 341 candidates will vie for Parliament’s 52 seats from more than 25 parties and 80 independents.
Vanuatu’s principal electoral officer, Martin Tete, said polling booths will close at 4:30, and votes will take some hours to count. But he said there should be an unofficial results by early Wednesday morning.
“It depends on the number of listed voters, for smaller polling stations, about 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock, we should have an unofficial result of the polling station, but with the larger polling stations normally we pick them up about ten or 11 o’clock,” he said.
Some candidates said the record number of candidates contesting this years election in Vanuatu is a reflection of dissatisfaction with veteran politicians.
Tony Wright, a member of one of the main opposition parties, the Union of Moderate Parties, said they want to cut down on government spending.
He said the number of political positions in the prime minister’s office has increased from 14 to 32, but it was no more productive.
“The people of Vanuatu are tired of living with that system, and they want a change. The system is that the government has not found a solution to upgrade the lives of the people of Vanuatu,” he said.
Wright said the government has proclaimed 7.5 percent economic growth, but only businesses have felt that, not the people of the islands.
The president of the Vanuatu Council of Women said people are getting involved in the country’s election, because they are fed up with politicians.
Nine women are contesting this year’s election in Vanuatu.
Manina Packete, who is also standing as a candidate for the chiefs’ movement, said the people need to know they have the right to talk to leaders, and they need to change their ideas of politics.
“They are fed up, they shouldn’t waste their vote, they have to make that change. Politics is a dirty thing to get involved [in]. We have this mentality and attitude problem, but we have to change the way we see things. Be positive,” Packete said.
She expects at least seven women candidates to make it into Parliament.
