20 May 2011

Vanuatu government survives no confidence motion

3:54 pm on 20 May 2011

The Prime Minister of Vanuatu has narrowly survived a no confidence motion brought by the opposition.

Sato Kilman received 26 votes to retain power.

The Prime Minister had been expected to win by 27 votes, but the speaker Maxime Carlot Korman suspended the Justice Minister Ralph Regenvanu from parliament, reportedly because of an email he had written criticising the speaker.

Our correspondent in Port Vila, Len Garae, says the Prime Minister won with the support of two MPs who recently crossed the floor, Willie Reuben Abel from the Vanuaku Party and Steven Kalsakau from the Union of Moderate Parties.

"The margin is very narrow and the opposition may continue to llok for a niche to lodge another motion but to tell you the truth the people of this country are tired of listening and reading about motions of no confidence. They're all tired and they want to move on."