IT HAS FINALLY come down the number games, with both sides claiming to maintain solidarity within their own groupings. The Government and the Opposition are now in a stand-off situation – the Opposition now has a command lead of 25 MPs in their ranks, while the Government has 13 MPs.
This stalemate has pushed the Opposition to call a press conference yesterday 27 October to clear its position over this political crisis. The Opposition wants a government of national unity but only if the Prime Minister resigns.
Therefore, the Opposition “calls on the Prime Minister to do the honourable thing at this juncture
of Vanuatu history by resigning immediately”. This comes after the Prime Minister appointed MP Isaac from Epi as Minister for Lands about an hour earlier in a show of “protecting his minority government in defiance of public opinion and the international democratic norms and principles”, as stated by the Opposition.
The Opposition emphasized that “If constitutional crisis should emerge then the opposition will squarely put the blame on the Prime Minister for his intransigence (stubbornness) and lack of leadership,”
Meanwhile Prime Minister Sato Kilman continues to hold on to power with 13 MP’s, and also offering MP’s from both side of the house to come forward to fill in vacant ministerial portfolios.
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post
Transparency International Vanuatu Chairman Dr Willie Tokon is calling on the Government and the Opposition to find a solution to this stalemate for the people of Vanuatu.
Transparency International Vanuatu is also concerned on the continual misuse and abuse of public assets especially in regards to the Government vehicles. Transparency International Vanuatu is aware that recently law enforcement officers had allegedly chased down a Ministerial Government Vehicle that was being driven by a political supporter of one of the convicted MP’s who is now serving time in prison.
Transparency international Vanuatu (TIV), as its mandate, will continue to advocate against corruption – bribery, nepotism, misappropriation, cronyism, maladministration, embezzlement, fraud, conflict of interest, money laundering, extortion and etc.
TIV’s plans to conduct a series of anti-corruption and voter awareness empowerment activities around Vanuatu, which is still in its early planning stages, but once finalized the movement will surely expect to attract people from all walks who want to see that corruption does not have a place in society.
TIV invites the citizens of Vanuatu to join the voice of the movement. For any information contact us:
To view or download the full press statement by the Opposition click here: Opposition Press Statement.
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