Nikenike Vurobaravu elected Vanuatu's new president

SUVA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Nikenike Vurobaravu has become the 12th President of Vanuatu.

According to the Vanuatu Daily Post newspaper on Tuesday, Vurobaravu was elected by 48 votes of the 58-member Electoral College on Saturday after eight rounds of voting since Thursday last week.

Vurobaravu has promised to encourage national unity and strengthen efforts on the issue of climate change.

Born in 1964, Vurobaravu is a member of the Vanua'aku Pati (VP) party. He had served as the coordinator of the Vanuatu Comprehensive Reform Program for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a political adviser in the Prime Minister's Office.

He was also Vanuatu's High Commissioner to Fiji.