The newly appointed chairman of Vanuatu National Provident Fund, Morris Michel has resigned.
He's told the minister of finance, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, who is also responsible for the VNPF, that he wants to stand for parliament next year.
Mr Morris, who is a political advisor to Mr Carcasses, was appointed last week, sparking immediate controversy.
The Vanuaaku Party of former prime minister Edward Natapei called for Mr Carcasses to be sacked over the appointment.
The appointment was criticised by Transparency International Vanuatu, while the secretary general of the Vanuatu National Workers Union, Ephraim Kalsakau, who is also on the Provident Fund's board, threatened to boycott meetings called by Mr Michel.
The appointment of Mr Morris was seen as an attempt to stall the eviction order of more than 100 politicians who had borrowed money from the VNPF and defaulted on payments.
