TNAG-0831-FCO40-1039-Commonwealth-Parliamentary-Association-(CPA)-annual-conferen-1979 — Page 86

EW HEBRIDES CONDOMINIUM

The origins of the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides date

back to 1887. The basic constitutional document is the Anglo-French

Protocol of 1914, which created two separate national administrations (and legal systems) in addition to a few joint services administered by the

joint, or Condominium, Administration. Under the terms of the Protocol,

which constituted the New Hebrides as a region of joint influence, neither

signatory power is permitted to exercise a separate authority over the

territory. The indigenous inhabitants bear no allegiance to either power.

2.

The

Until 1978, when significant constitutional developments led to a

start being made on the unification of the three administrations, Britain

and France maintained separate national services, each headed by a Resident

Commissioner acting on behalf of a non-Resident High Commissioner.

national administrations controlled their own medical services (except

public health), education, police and co-operatives. The Condominium Administration, consisting of the two Resident Commissioners acting jointly, retained responsibility for joint services (including posts and

telecommunications, public works and transport, Treasury and Customs,

radio, civil aviation, etc). In January 1979, a unified New Hebrides

Public Service was established. The Public Service has taken over res-

ponsibility for the Condominium Administration, and the process of unifying

the separate British and French services under the control of the Public

Service has begun.

3. In July 1977 the British and French Governments announced a programme

to bring the New Hebrides to independence in 1980. An Exchange of Notes on

15 September 1977 provided for the progressive transfer of power to a new

Representative Assembly. The two metropolitan governments would retain

joint responsibility for defence, internal security, external relations,

and currency and exchange until independence. Elections were held for a

new Representative Assembly in November 1977, but at the last moment the

As a con- predominantly anglophone Vanuaaku Party chose to boycott them. sequence of this boycott, the resultant Assembly, and the six-member Council of Ministers appointed in January 1978, was dominated by franco-

phone parties. This imbalance was resolved when, in December 1978, a ten- member Government of National Unity was formed comprising anglophone and

francophone Ministers in equal numbers.

14. The