Ham Lini

Ham Lin̄i Vanuaroroa (8 December 1951 – 10 November 2025) was a ni-Vanuatu politician. He was a MP from Pentecost Island in Penama Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. He was the Deputy Prime Minister, having assumed the post on 16 May 2014.

Lin̄i was the brother of Walter Lin̄i, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu. Ham Lin̄i was the leader of the National United Party (VNUP).

Prime Minister of Vanuatu The VNUP became the largest party in parliament in the July 2004 parliamentary elections, with 10 of 52 seats. Ham Lin̄i became a candidate for prime minister, but was defeated by Serge Vohor, though Lin̄i also had the support of the largest faction of the Vanua'aku Pati, led by outgoing Prime Minister Edward Natapei. One of Lin̄i's first actions after taking office was the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. The opposition, led by former prime minister Serge Vohor, had accused the Lin̄i government of weaknesses from a controversial proposal to monopolize kava exports. The clashes, which took place in Blacksands squatter settlement area on the outskirts of Port Vila, killed two people. Edward Natapei of the Vanuaku Pati narrowly defeated his nearest opponent, Maxime Carlot Korman, leader of the Vanuatu Republican Party, with 27 to 25 votes in Parliament in a vote three weeks later on 22 September, succeeding Lin̄i as prime minister.

In Natapei's first reshuffle Lin̄i was given the post of Minister of Justice & Social Welfare whilst remaining as Deputy Prime Minister. However, in Natapei's second major cabinet reshuffle, which took place in November 2009, Lin̄i was removed as Deputy Prime Minister and replaced by Sato Kilman. Natapei had learned that Lin̄i's Vanuatu National United Party and the Vanuatu Republican Party were planning a vote of no confidence measure against him. Lin̄i held the position until 24 April 2011, when Kilman was in turn ousted in turn in a vote of no confidence, and replaced by Serge Vohor. Vohor did not appoint Lin̄i to his cabinet.

Three weeks later, however, on 13 May, Vohor's election and premiership were voided by the Court of Appeal, and the Kilman government was restored, complete with Ham Lin̄i as Deputy Prime Minister. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Lin̄i lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as prime minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet. Kilman's government fell on 21 March 2013 when it lost the confidence of Parliament, and Lin̄i found himself in Opposition to Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil's new government.

On 15 May 2014, Carcasses was ousted in a motion of no confidence. New prime minister Joe Natuman appointed Lin̄i his deputy prime minister and minister for trade and commerce. Lin̄i lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence.

Death Lin̄i died at a hospital in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on 10 November 2025, at the age of 73.