11 SEPTEMBER 2008 PORT VILA (Pacnews) ----- Edward Natapei has been elected Vanuatu's new Prime Minister.

In a coalition agreement, the former Prime Minister, Ham Lini, is expected to take the position of deputy. Radio Australia reports that Vanuatu's voters have reversed the fortunes of the country's two major parties. The last government's junior coalition partner, the Vanua'aku Party (VP), is now set to the dominate the government, with Mr Lini's National United Party (NUP) as the largest junior coalition partner. In an agreement signed in Port Vila on Wednesday, 32 of the 52 parliamentarians agreed to be a part of the new coalition.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Ralph Regenvanu said he and a number of other MPs are also prepared to join the government if their conditions are met. “It's a solidarity agreement with four MPs, it's the Green Confederation with two MPs, the Shepherds Alliance which has one MP and myself - an independent MP - and we've agreed to work together,” he said.

“We've established a solidarity agreement based on 16 policies that we want the next government to implement, and we'll go in to government with the other parties as coalition members who agree to implement the 16 policies.”

In the formal announcement of results the junior coalition partner in the last government, the Vanua'aku Party of Mr Natapei, won 10 out of the 52 seats, while senior partner the National United Party, led by Mr Lini, won 8 seats. The Vanuatu Republican Party led by Maxim Korman won seven seats - increasing its number in parliament by 3. Serge Vohor's Union of Moderate Parties also won seven seats - down by one from the last parliament. Of the 49 incumbent parliamentarians who sought re-election 18 lost their seats……PNS(ENDS)