25 Aug 2004

The Vanuatu Government says special session of Parliament for no confidence vote a waste of time

5:16 pm on 25 August 2004

The Vanuatu Government says a special sitting of Parliament scheduled for tomorrow is a waste of time and public money.

The session was ordered by the Supreme Court which said Parliament should debate a motion of no confidence registered several weeks ago.

The Opposition says it has the numbers to topple the Government, with 29 of the 52 MPs, though the Government is claiming the backing of 35 members.

Regardless, the Government's spokesman, Kal Moli, says the motion will not be debated because its mover, Ham Lini, is now the Deputy Prime Minister, and he now opposes it.

"if they want to launch a new motion it has to be done in 7 days time and that motion will have to have new mover and you will have to have the required numbers, which is half plus one, which is 27. At the moment the Opposition don't have 27, they only have 19 and could go up to 20"