Vanuatu leader seeks to usher in reforms, bridge gap

Transcript

JOE NATUMAN: We have started the constitutional reform, particularly looking at the amendments to the constitution.  The parliament set up the Parliamentary Adhoc Committee to look into the amendments to the constitution. It has been just completing their work now and they've been travelling through the whole country to make further consultations with the people on those constitutional amendments.
 
JOHNNY BLADES: Do outside influences still play a part in politics because there have been characters around some of the Vanuatu parties over the years who have maybe funded or supported certain parties which may be linked to some of the instability?
 
JN: Yes and also I suppose it's a problem of the political parties here, because the financial base is too weak, they tend to receive donations from elsewhere.  It is very easy for those kind of influences to penetrate into the political system. This is why and one of the things we will be looking at having a bill, or law, which will have every political party registered. Then donations that you receive will have to be disclosed. These are the issues we will be looking at to try and strengthen our political parties.  
 
JB: The Vanua'aku Pati, you have just had your annual congress, is the Vanua'aku Pati representing the same values these days?
 
JN: I think so. This congress that we had we tried to come up with a roadmap to strengthen the party and close the party into the future, to make sure that more young people are in. We were very happy that there were more younger generations attending this congress than ever before.  So basically the main thing was [for] this congress was to ensure that the Vanua'aku Pati comes back again much stronger in the political landscape here. The theme was the Vanua'aku Pati comeback.  We had over 300 delegates attending.
 
JB: Issues like land and political independence are they also very important for the younger generations?
 
JN: Yes I think that is very important. Partly because there is a communication gap between the younger generation and the older generation.  The younger generation does not have any sense of history about the struggle, about why we should be retaining our land.  Some tend to sell off their land or lease for long-term and these are issues that we discuss and try to bring the younger generation up to date with the policies of the party and the importance of land and independence; and of course the rights of other people around the world and here in the Pacific.