23 Feb 2004

Sela Molisa could be the next to go from Vanuatu's Cabinet

7:11 pm on 23 February 2004

There are reports from Vanuatu that the Finance Minister Sela Molisa is about to be dumped from Cabinet.

This comes just days after a Cabinet reshuffle - the second such change in three months.

The reshuffle prompted the resignation of Education Minister Donald Kalpokas, who was angry that Prime Minister Edward Natapei did not hold off making the changes until a dispute within their Vanuaaku Pati had been resolved.

And our Port Vila correspondent Kal Moli says a further Cabinet change is anticipated within the next day or so.

"there is an anticipated minor reshuffle or rotation within Natapei's Cabinet which would see the Minister of Finance dumped - Sela Molisa, who has been very instrumental in resurrecting Vanuatu's already fragile budget and economy to a slightly more conducive environment where investors have been slowly trickling in"

Kal Moli.

Sela Molisa is currently travelling in Japan, while Prime Minister Natapei was also not available for comment.