Ishmael Kalsakau

Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau is a Ni-Vanuatu politician who served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu from 4 November 2022 until 4 September 2023. He is the head of the Union of Moderate Parties in Vanuatu.

Career

In 2005, Kalsakau was appointed the Legal Counsel of MCA Vanuatu, the Vanuatu's component of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Kalsakau was Attorney General of Vanuatu, but resigned the post to contest parliamentary elections. After he lost, he returned to his post of Attorney General, raising concerns from Transparency International.

In 2014, Kalsakau was re-appointed Attorney General of the Government of Vanuatu.

Kalsakau was confirmed as Leader of the Opposition in February 2016.

Kalsakau became prime minister in 2022. In August 2023, he reshuffled his cabinet ahead of a confidence motion prompted by opposition to his security pact with Australia. On 16 August, he survived the confidence motion by one vote. The Supreme Court later ruled the motion successful and he was replaced by Sato Kilman on 4 September.

Kalsakau has expressed skepticism regarding increased Chinese involvement in Vanuatu, as well as a lack of transparency regarding loans from China. His father was First Chief Minister George Kalsakau, who was involved in negotiating Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom.