14 Sep 2011

Former Vanuatu minister critical of political changes

6:03 pm on 14 September 2011

A former Vanuatu education minister, Charlot Salwai, has expressed concern at the recent political manoeuvres which has led to the suspension of the speaker, Maxime Carlot Korman.

Mr Salwai, who is the vice president of the Union of Moderate Parties, says choosing Dunstun Hilton as the new speaker has added to a concentration of power.

He says the People Progressive Party of the prime minister, Sato Kilman, now controls the executive and the legislature as Mr Hilton is the party's vice-president as well as Mr Kilman's brother-in-law.

Furthermore, he says, the leader of government business is Willie Lop, who is the party's secretary general.

Mr Salwai says the hunting of Mr Carlot Korman by Mr Kilman has cost the country's lot of money and his ousting will only benefit the political interests of the prime minister and not the people of Vanuatu.