Vohor, Serge (1955– )

Vanuatuan politician, prime minister 1996–98. He was elected to parliament in 1983, representing the Francophone Union of Moderate Parties (UMP). Vohor became UMP deputy leader in 1987, while his rival, Maxime Carlot Korman, became leader. When Carlot formed a UMP-led coalition government after the December 1991 general election, Vohor became foreign minister and, from 1993, economics and industry minister. Support for the UMP fell in the November 1995 general election, but Vohor managed to become prime minister by aligning his faction of the UMP with the Anglophone Unity Front opposition. In February 1996, faced with certain defeat on a no-confidence motion, Vohor resigned, to be replaced as prime minister by Carlot, whom Vohor had sought to expel from the UMP. However, Vohor was re-instated as prime minister on 30 September 1996. His government survived another year, but was incapacitated by infighting and corruption scandals, which persuaded President Jean-Marie Leye to dissolve parliament in November 1997 and call a fresh general election for March 1998. The UMP polled poorly in this election and Vohor went into opposition.

Born in Port-Olry, on Santo island, he trained as a medical technician in Mauritius, and returned to Vanuatu in 1983.