UMP’s patience pays off as party remains solid

The Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) leader, Serge Vohor, has played his cards well in a strategy that has not only resulted in the party securing the post of prime minster but also it is expected to have a positive effect for his political group in the general election next year.

Among the big political parties, UMP is the only party that has no visible division among its leaders.

The party secured eight members of parliament in the 2008 general election, second highest from Vanua’aku Party.

These eight MPs were secured in four out of Vanuatu’s six provinces.

But UMP’s coalition partner, VP, has been riddled with political differences which caused its numbers to reduce to the same level as the party led by Vohor.

UMP on the other hand has maintained its number of MPs.

One of the plus sides of UMP through the leadership of Vohor is that the older party leaders have allowed for young leaders to be elected into the party executive.

This issue of executive leadership is the main reason behind the split in Vanua’aku Party.

Another big party, the Vanuatu Republican Party of Maxime Carlot Korman and the National United Party of Ham Lini have been through similar differences of political opinion that saw the parties split.

But as a single political bloc, UMP’s eight MPs remained solid.

And the strong backing of Vohor as UMP leader by his young MPs paid off when VP leader, Edward Natapei, who recently faced a motion of no trust when he was PM, gave his vote of confidence for Vohor to be the next prime minister following UMP’s commitment in the past for Natapei’s leadership.