27 Jun 2011

Kilman elected Vanuatu PM - ten days after ouster by court

10:08 am on 27 June 2011

The Vanuatu parliament has elected Sato Kilman as the new prime minister - ten days after the Supreme Court ruled that his previous tenure was unconstitutional.

Mr Kilman won 29 votes and the rival candidate, Serge Vohor, 23 votes in the 52-member assembly.

Mr Kilman had first been chosen as prime minister last December, but a legal challenge to his rule found that he had not been elected by secret ballot as prescribed in the constitution.

This meant that the administration led by Edward Natapei was returned in an interim capacity until a fresh prime ministerial election could be held.

While he has yet to appoint his Ministers, Mr Kilman says he is going to urgently look at the order made by Mr Natapei for he and his former Ministers to refund all the salaries that they were paid when he was illegally appointed Prime Minister

Mr Natapei has also lodged a complaint of perjury with police over allegations that five ministers, including Kilman, committed perjury when trying to explain their actions surrounding last December's election.