8 Nov 2010

Vanuatu Government asks to suspend Opposition MPs

7:09 am on 8 November 2010

A government motion to suspend 5 opposition MPs from 4 consecutive meetings of Vanuatu's Parliament will be debated in Parliament tomorrow.

The government motion accuses the opposition of abusing the parliamentary process by calling for an extra-ordinary meeting of Parliament last month to debate a vote of no confidence in the government.

The motion aims to suspend the opposition leader, Maxime Carlot Korman, his deputy, Ham Lini and the other opposition MPs.

Prime minister, Edward Natapei, and deputy prime minister, Sato Kilman, say the extra-ordinary session would have been disruptive and costly.

On his side, Mr Carlot has described the attitude of Mr Natapei and Mr Kilman as dictators.

Mr Carlot says the government motion is to terrorise MPs not to exercise their constitutional rights to mount a motion against Mr Natapei in future.