9 Sep 2008

Next Vanuatu PM likely to be from Vanua'aku Pati, says Lini

7:42 pm on 9 September 2008

Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Ham Lini says the country's next Prime Minister will likely be a member of the Vanua'aku Pati.

While official results from last week's General Elections aren't due until at least Wednesday, unofficial results indicate that Mr Lini's National United Party, or NUP, has won 8 seats in the 52-seat parliament.

NUP is expected to again form a bloc with its main government coalition partner of the past four years, the Vanua'aku Pati or VP.

With at least ten, and possibly as many as 12 seats, VP stands to be the party with the most seats.

Mr Lini accepts that this means the Prime Ministership would probably go to the VP leader Edward Natapei...

"The result of the election shows that maybe the Vanua'aku Pati is going to take the Prime Ministership. And we have an agreement with that, there's no problem... NUP is open to everybody to work with as long as there's something in place that we can all agree to work with and then we can work with any party."

Ham Lini