ocr: The sovermment ofVanuatu was formerly shared by France and Britain. Political instability in the islands was one of the reasons which contributedto France's reluctance - not shared by the UK-to grant independence in 1980. The anti-French stance of - the Vanua'aku Party (Our Land Party - - VP), which governed from 1980-1991, was reinforced by French support for the short-lived secession of. Espiritu Santo in 1980. Rivalries and splits in the VP culminatedin - a constitutional crisis in 1988, when President Sokomanu backed former VPsecretary-general Barak Sope's ettorts to oust Prime Minister Wa ...
