30 May 2011

Vanuatu election challenge in Supreme Court on June 7th

3:01 pm on 30 May 2011

Vanuatu's Supreme Court has set June the 7th as the date on which to hear the opposition's constitutional case questioning last December's election of the Prime Minister, Sato Kilman.

The Daily Post reports that according to the former Prime Minister Edward Natapei, the election was not conducted by secret ballot as prescribed by article 41 of the constitution.

Mr Natapei says after Mr Kilman toppled him in a vote of no confidence, the majority of the MPs who took part in his election as Prime Minister did so with a show of hands.

The election was presided over by the speaker of parliament, Maxime Carlot Korman.

The media was banned from observing the proceedings.