Patrick Crowby

Patrick Joseph Manarewo Kalpuaso Crowby (6 July 1958 – 27 December 2013) was a Vanuatuan politician.

Crowby was born in Port Vila in 1958.[1] He began his career as a primary school teacher in 1978.[1] In 1987, he obtained the title of Manarewo as customary chief. In 1991, he became a member of the National Bureau of Tourism. He would subsequently preside over the Bureau from 2007 to 2008.[1][2]

In 1992, he was appointed president of a sub-committee of the Union of Moderate Parties, a francophone political party; Crowby himself is a francophone. In 1997, now representing the National United Party,[3] he became mayor of Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, a position he held until 2004. He subsequently remained a city councillor until 2006.[1] Transparency International Vanuatu accused him of "mismanagement and corruption" during his term.[4]

From 2004 until 2008, he served as the Prime Minister's public relations officer, and government spokesman.[3] During that same time, he was President of Vanuatu's Broadcasting and Television Corporation, and permanent representative of Vanuatu to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.[1]

In 2008, he was elected to Parliament,[1] and was appointed Minister for Internal Affairs in Prime Minister Edward Natapei's Cabinet,[5] though he was subsequently dismissed during a Cabinet reshuffle. He returned to government in April 2011, when Prime Minister Sato Kilman (who had ousted Natapei in a vote of no confidence in December 2010) was in turn ousted in a vote of no confidence, and succeeded by Serge Vohor. Vohor appointed Crowby Minister for Internal Affairs.[6] Three weeks later, however, Vohor's election and premiership were voided by the Court of Appeal, and Crowby lost his position in government.[7]

On 16 June, Kilman's election and premiership were themselves voided by the Supreme Court, on constitutional grounds, and previous Prime Minister Edward Natapei became caretaker Prime Minister until a new leader could be elected. Crowby was restored as caretaker Minister of the Interior.[8] On 26 June 2011, Sato Kilman was elected Prime Minister by Parliament, and Crowby lost his position in government.[9]

Crowby later sat as a government backbencher, until 20 March 2013 when he was one of eight MPs to cross the floor and bring down the Kilman government.[10] New Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil appointed him to the position of Minister for the Interior three days later.[11]

Death

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He died, aged 55, in New Caledonia on 27 December 2013, several days after having been rushed to hospital there as an unspecified emergency.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Biography[permanent dead link‍] on the website of the New Caledonia government
  2. ^ a b "Décès à Nouméa d’une figure francophone de la politique vanuatuane", Tahiti Infos, 27 December 2013
  3. ^ a b "Political Reviews: Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events 2005: Vanuatu" Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Anita Jowitt, The Contemporary Pacific, vol.18, n°2, autumn 2006, pp. 430–438
  4. ^ "TIV congratulates Regenvanu for letter PM" Archived 17 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Transparency International Vanuatu, 10 October 2008
  5. ^ "New Vanuatu PM names his cabinet line-up". Radio New Zealand International. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  6. ^ "New look Vanuatu government sworn in". Radio New Zealand International. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  7. ^ "Vanuatu Court decision results in change of government", ABC Radio Australia, 13 May 2011
  8. ^ "Vanuatu interim leader appoints cabinet ministers ahead of prime ministerial vote Thursday". Radio New Zealand International. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Vanuatu's new PM reinstates cabinet". Radio New Zealand International. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Opposition 28, Government 21" Archived 23 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Daily Post, 21 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Nation's interest first: Carcasses" Archived 29 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Daily Post, 26 March 2013.
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