Esmon Saimon

Not to be confused with Seule Simeon.
Esmon Esai Saimon
Saimon in 2018
Speaker of the Parliament
In office
11 February 2016 – 6 September 2019
Preceded byMarcellino Pipite
Succeeded bySeoule Simeon
Acting President of Vanuatu
In office
17 June 2017 – 6 July 2017
Prime MinisterCharlot Salwai
Preceded byBaldwin Lonsdale
Succeeded byTallis Obed Moses
Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities
In office
23 March 2013 – 11 June 2015
Prime MinisterMoana Carcasses Kalosil
Joe Natuman
Preceded byTony Nari
Succeeded byTony Nari
Minister for Cooperatives and Ni-Vanuatu Business Development
In office
13 May 2011 – 17 May 2011
Prime MinisterSato Kilman
Preceded byPaul Telukluk
Succeeded byDon Ken
In office
18 February 2011 – 24 April 2011
Prime MinisterSato Kilman
Preceded byRalph Regenvanu
Succeeded byPaul Telukluk
Personal details
Born (1955-10-28) 28 October 1955 (age 69)
Malakula, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu)
Political partyMelanesian Progressive Party

Esmon Esai Saimon, also referred to as Esmon Sae (born 28 October 1955),[1][2][3] is a Vanuatuan politician. From 11 February 2016 to 6 September 2019 he was Speaker of the Parliament, and in that role from 17 June 2017 to 6 July 2017 served as the acting president of Vanuatu upon the death of Baldwin Lonsdale.[4]

Career

He worked first as Secretary to the South West Bay Cooperative Society, from 1978 to 1982, then went into private business (in "retail and fishing") until 1998.[5]

He served in office in the Malampa Province assembly from 1992 to 1996, then was elected Member of the national Parliament for Malekula in the December 1998 general election. He is currently a member of the Melanesian Progressive Party.[6]

Initially a backbencher, he was appointed Minister for Cooperatives and Ni-Vanuatu Business Development (i.e., indigenous business development) in Prime Minister Sato Kilman's Cabinet on February 18, 2010. Kilman was attempting to consolidate his government's majority prior to an expected vote on a motion of confidence in Parliament.[7] He lost office on April 24 when the Kilman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence, regained it on May 13 when the Court of Appeal declared the election of the new government unconstitutional,[8] and lost it again on May 17 when Kilman reshuffled his government and replaced him with Don Ken.[9]

Kilman's government fell on 21 March 2013 when it lost the confidence of Parliament, and new Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil appointed Sae to the position of Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities two days later.[10] He crossed the floor on 15 May 2014 to help bring down the Carcasses government. New Prime Minister Joe Natuman maintained Saimon at his post as Minister for Infrastructure.[11] He lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence.[12]

On 11 February 2016 he was elected as Speaker of the Parliament of Vanuatu.[13] He served until 6 September 2019. He was then appointed as Minister of Justice and Social Welfare in 20 April 2020.[14] He served in that role until 2022.

References

  1. ^ HON. ESMON SAIMON
  2. ^ "Vanuatu PM wants constitution amended", Pacific Islands News Association, February 21, 2011
  3. ^ "31 MPs vote for pay rise" Archived 2011-08-14 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Daily Post, November 23, 2010
  4. ^ "Vanuatu President dies". The Vanuatu Independent. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  5. ^ Biography Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine on the website of the Parliament of Vanuatu
  6. ^ Biography Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine on the website of the Parliament of Vanuatu
  7. ^ "Cabinet reshuffle as Vanuatu political crisis continues", Radio New Zealand International, February 19, 2011
  8. ^ "Appeal court restores Kilman as Vanuatu prime minister", Radio New Zealand International, May 13, 2011
  9. ^ "Seeking majority, Kilman reshuffles Vanuatu cabinet to accommodate defector", Radio New Zealand International, May 17, 2011
  10. ^ "Nation's interest first: Carcasses" Archived March 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Daily Post, 26 mars 2013
  11. ^ "Natuman names cabinet line-up" Archived May 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Digest, 16 May 2014
  12. ^ "Vanuatu announces new cabinet after new prime minister Sato Kilman is elected", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 June 2015
  13. ^ Rita Narayan (11 February 2016). "Esmon Saimon is new Speaker of Vanuatu parliament". Loop Vanuatu. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Hon. Esmon Saimon". 28 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28.
Political offices
Preceded by President of Vanuatu
Acting
2017 		Succeeded by